Director:Â Mike Leigh
Cast:Â Rory Kinnear, Maxine Peake, Neil Bell, Pearce Quigley, David Moorst, Rachel Finnegan, Tom Meredith
Rating: 12A
Running time: 154 mins
Release date:Â 02/11/2018
Along with Ken Loach, Mike Leigh‘s one of the most actively political and socially-aware film-makers working in British Cinema today. His works have a stern need to question the status quo, whilst giving characters inhabiting the world a chance to express themselves in a more emotional way.
Whether or not Leigh’s decision to make his latest film, PETERLOO, was shaped by the current British climate and ongoing uncertainty after the Brexit vote in 2016 – of which the jury is still out at this point – there is no denying that one of the stormiest of days in history which focused on politics v people power will polarise opinion here.
Next year marks the 200th Anniversary of one of the biggest tragedies in British Political History.
http://www.peterloomassacre.org/index.html
On the 16th August, 1819, at St. Peter’s Field in Manchester, thousands gathered in protest against the then-current Parliament, amidst uncertainty over their futures and their very welfare, as well as the inability to vote and elect. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be down South utilised their own powers of authority to quell disorder and to question the legitimacy of the gathering.
It’s an interesting and chaotic time, not dissimilar to today’s situation.
Back then, a foreign battle had recently been won. Pats on the back and financial rewards were prevalent, but the populace were suffering because of the expenditure lavished on freedom elsewhere in the world.
Leigh’s film keeps things simple whilst at the same time focusing on the complexities of conflict, partly brought about by the haves and have-nots and the conflicts within of well-known orator Henry Hunt (Rory Kinnear) who is well aware of the dangers of violence and conflict at demonstrations like this.
Local rebels misinterpret what the meaning of democracy is, whilst the politicians are all-but-concerned about making sure that their own livelihoods are. The result is going to inevitably lead to major violence – and PETERLOO delivers in a highly-charged climax.
PETERLOO will certainly be one of the talking points of 2018 and in terms of Leigh’s work, it is one of his most actively-political statements.
