rebeccat-37865
Joined Dec 2022
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Reviews8
rebeccat-37865's rating
I was pleased but surprised to find this unheralded documentary showing at my local Vue multiplex and attended a screening that attracted one other viewer. There have been several recent, quite unsympathetic docs on the strike so I was curious as to how this one would treat it.
The perspective is from miners themselves rather than from their former leaders or from commentators, apart from one BBC reporters at the time and a former policeman. That helps ground it into a working-class context, but I was less happy to be denied the necessary political context: where was the Labour party in this? It does mention the TUC's total lack of support but strangely portrays Scargill as no more than a rabble-rouser, out of his depth and outmanoeuvred by canny Conservative operators like Thatcher.
The coverage of the Orgreave battle between miners in a field near the coking plant and many thousands of uniformed police doesn't reveal anything new. The lack of serious injuries makes it appear more like a slightly riotous festival, certainly compared to the Marikana massacre in South Africa in 2012 in which 34 miners were murdered by the police.
In general, the film lacked a serious political analysis. But its presentation of the deep solidarity in mining communities, and how that was purposely destroyed by the Conservative government with the connivance of a right-wing Labour 'opposition', showed how much we have lost.
The perspective is from miners themselves rather than from their former leaders or from commentators, apart from one BBC reporters at the time and a former policeman. That helps ground it into a working-class context, but I was less happy to be denied the necessary political context: where was the Labour party in this? It does mention the TUC's total lack of support but strangely portrays Scargill as no more than a rabble-rouser, out of his depth and outmanoeuvred by canny Conservative operators like Thatcher.
The coverage of the Orgreave battle between miners in a field near the coking plant and many thousands of uniformed police doesn't reveal anything new. The lack of serious injuries makes it appear more like a slightly riotous festival, certainly compared to the Marikana massacre in South Africa in 2012 in which 34 miners were murdered by the police.
In general, the film lacked a serious political analysis. But its presentation of the deep solidarity in mining communities, and how that was purposely destroyed by the Conservative government with the connivance of a right-wing Labour 'opposition', showed how much we have lost.
It was an innovative and well-executed idea: showing dementia from the sufferer's perspective. The growing confusion, the inability to understand who people are or why do things are beautifully portrayed in the performances, the changing sets, the colours and other aspects.
However, like many other mainstream films on this topic, dementia is not shown in any accurate way. The family live in an expensive flat, they can afford carers, Hopkins's character is always clean and well groomed and he doesn't suffer the progression of his disease beyond it's early stages.
His family, even his carers, are the main problem, though. They seem utterly unaware of what inevitably occurs to victims of dementia and make few allowances for them. One would imagine they would learn as time passes but no, they still expect him to understand everything and be the same person he always was. I suspect most people who live with dementia sufferers are much more knowledgeable and understanding.
While Hopkins et al work hard in the limited roles they are given, that is simply unsatisfactory when the script forces them into clearly unconvincing characters.
However, like many other mainstream films on this topic, dementia is not shown in any accurate way. The family live in an expensive flat, they can afford carers, Hopkins's character is always clean and well groomed and he doesn't suffer the progression of his disease beyond it's early stages.
His family, even his carers, are the main problem, though. They seem utterly unaware of what inevitably occurs to victims of dementia and make few allowances for them. One would imagine they would learn as time passes but no, they still expect him to understand everything and be the same person he always was. I suspect most people who live with dementia sufferers are much more knowledgeable and understanding.
While Hopkins et al work hard in the limited roles they are given, that is simply unsatisfactory when the script forces them into clearly unconvincing characters.