The history of English movies can be traced back to the 1920s when silent film was first introduced From the 1930s on sound film became the mainstream and English movies began to improve in quality and quantity During this period many famous movies were made such as Gone with the Wind (1939) Casabanca (1942) In Sindler's List (1993) and The Dark Knight (2008) In the 1950s English movies became known for their political and social messages and many of these movies were about World War II and the Cold War Some of the most famous English movies of this period include Brokeback Mountain (1995) The Shawshank Redemption (1994) The Godfather (1972) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) In the 1960s English movies began to focus more on action and adventure movies and many of these movies were made during the war era Some of the most famous English movies of this period include The Godfather Part II (1974) The French Connection (1967) Jaws (1975) and The Towering Inferno (1971) In the 1980s English movies became known for their romantic movies and many of these movies were about love and relationships Some of the most famous English movies of this period include Scent of a Woman (1985) The English Patient (1989) Clue (1995) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) In the 1990s English movies began to focus more on action and adventure movies and many of these movies were made during the Cold War era Some of the most famous English movies of this period include Jaws2 (1995) The Matrix (1999) The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and The Matrix Resurrections (2003) Today's English movies are known for their drama characters and themesMany of the most famous English movies of all time include Inception (2010) The Dark Knight (2008) The Shawshank Redemption (1994) The Godfather Part III (1974) The English Patient (1989) and Scent of a Woman (1985)