Quentin Tarantino has been named the most-studied director in the UK.

A survey of 17 academics by the recently-relaunched PureMovies.co.uk film website found that the controversial director had been referenced more than any other in the essays and dissertations marked over the last five years.

John Shearer / AP

Christopher Nolan was in second place, with his Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises) being the most-cited films.

Head of Film Studies at Uxbridge College Dr Garth Twa said: "It's no surprise. Tarantino is visceral, accessible, and students new to film studies have an immediate handle on visual pleasure.

"What is great about Tarantino is that he can serve as a gateway to appreciate everything from the French New Wave to genre studies to gender representation in film."

He added: "Batman is a perennial franchise that will always find a market.

"He's a hero who's relatable, but also flawed like we are, and troubled, but still, always a hero. Like most of us wish we could be, the most noble of intentions but the most human of frailties."

The PureMovies.co.uk website relaunched today with a focus discussion, commentary and qualified debate about the latest mainstream and independent releases from leading commentators, academics and industry experts.

The top five directors cited in the survey were:

1. Quentin Tarantino

2. Christopher Nolan

3. Alfred Hitchcock

4. Martin Scorsese

5. Steven Spielberg











The top ten cited films were:

1. The Dark Knight

2. Batman Begins

3. Vertigo

4. Pulp Fiction

5. The Dark Knight Rises

6. Fight Club

7. Inception

8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

9. The Social Network

10. No Country for Old Men





















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