The Hugh Owen Library has thousands of films, television series and fiction books which touch on some of the issues addressed while studying criminology. This gathers extracurricular content on the themes of control, imprisonment, rehabilitation and policing. If you would like to share your suggestions, contact your subject librarian.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner by
A rebellious youth, sentenced to a boy's reformatory for robbing a bakery, rises through the ranks of the institution through his prowess as a long distance runner. During his solitary runs, reveries of his life and times before his incarceration lead him to re-evaluate his priviledged status as the Governor's prize runner.
Hunger by
The final months of Bobby Sands, the Irish Republican Army activist who protested his treatment at the hands of British prison guards with a hunger strike, are chronicled in this historical drama.
Un Prophet by
Depicts Malik el Djebena (Tahar Rahim), a 19 year old man of North African origin estranged from the Muslim community during a six year prison sentence. Twists and turns of fate provide an unlikely outcome for Malik when his sentence is over.
City of God by
Using street kids straight from the Cidade de Deus slum outside Rio de Janeiro, Fernando Meirelles' film is based on actual events that happened in the slum. The story, revealed by Buscape - a street kid who decides to become a photojournalist when he discovers he is not cut out to become a villain - revolves around the shadowy world of drugs and the violence which increases with each generation. Li'l Ze has grown up to become a natural-born-killer and attempt to take over the drugs trade of the city. However, this sparks a turf war which is photographed by Buscape, making the war famous.
Double Indemnity by
Classic adaptation of James M. Cain's hardboiled noir novel by director Billy Wilder and writer Raymond Chandler.
Cracker: the complete collection by
Episodes from the series "Cracker", featuring a criminal psychologist with a dark side.
Nick Broomfield: The Early Works
Disc 1: Who cares ( 1970; 18 mins. ) ; Proud to be British (1973; 30 mins); Behind the rent strike (1974; 50 mins) -- Disc 2: Juvenile liaison (1975; 97 mins) ; Juvenile liaison 2 (1990; 87 mins) -- Disc 3: Tattooed tears (1978; 85 mins) ; History Reel (70 mins) -- Disc 4. Driving me crazy ( 1988; 85 mins) ; Monster in a box (1991; 88 mins).-- Special features: Video intriduction to each film by Nick Broomfield; Trailer reel; Nick Broomfield History Reel (70 mins)
A Very British Gangster by
Biographical documentary looking at one of Britain's most dangerous crime families. The gang of contemporary criminals open their lives to reveal a brutal world and an underclass which relies upon gangsters for justice, rather than police. The film follows the trials and tribulations of Dominic Noonan over three years, as he lurches from criminal trial to criminal trial.
Man On Wire by
On August 7th, 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between the New York World Trade Center's Twin Towers. After dancing for nearly an hour on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail, before finally being released. This extraordinary documentary incorporates Petit's personal footage to show how he overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges to achieve the artistic crime of the century
Criminal podcast
Oxford Centre for Criminology podcast
Criminology news: The Conversation
Click the below image and sign in to Box of Broadcasts to find a playlist of television and radio programmes on Criminology themes. If you need help in using Box of Broadcasts, contact your Subject Librarian.
