Peterloo Movie: A Review

I have been fascinated by the tragedy of Peterloo - and its consequences - for as long as I can remember. Next year is the bicentenary of this landmark event for our democracy, which has seemingly never been covered by the movie industry before, so Mike Leigh's new film is very timely. I was not disappointed. 

The action begins four years earlier on the bloody field of Waterloo. Joseph, a young soldier, survives the battle, and begins the long journey home to his family in Manchester. His mum is Nellie (Maxine Peake), who is fighting to keep her loved ones fed during a time of great hardship for the town's workers.

Some of the notable events in the years preceding Peterloo are telescoped with the action in order to provide the necessary historical context. Discontent was growing in the town, which expressed itself in political meetings, and the ill-fated march of the Blanketeers in 1817. Even women had their own societies dedicated to campaigning for parliamentary reform. The speeches of Leigh's characters capture the authentic ring of Manchester's political meetings - and some of the real firebrands of the day - as reported by the authorities' many spies.

Oliver the Spy (Stephen Wight) makes an enjoyable cameo appearance, although actually his identity was compromised in the aftermath of the ill-fated Pentrich Rising two years earlier. 

The meeting at St Peter's Field on 16 August 1819 was organized to hear a speech by Henry 'Orator' Hunt. Rory Kinnear nicely captures Hunt's mixture of bombast and self-importance (and his dedication to reform). Samuel Bamford (played by Neil Bell), who was initially impressed by Hunt, gradually became extremely disenchanted by his attitude. (Surely Bamford is far too well-dressed in the movie? He looks very prosperous).

The main events leading up to the massacre, and the horrifying violence of the day itself, are meticulously covered - right down to the incidents when Hunt helps a fainting woman into his coach, and Hunt is hit on the head by one of Joseph Nadin's thugs after being arrested. A pity that the Cheshire Yeomanry's part in the day was omitted, but perhaps this would have over-complicated the action. 

One seeming inaccuracy which struck me afterwards was the section in the film where Nelly shares out some chunks of bread with another family. Now Nellie's family is depicted as being extremely poor, so they were most unlikely to have been able to afford bread. The Corn Laws (one of the issues which the Peterloo crowd were protesting about) had artificially inflated the price of bread to benefit farmers and landowners. Contemporary accounts of working-class families in this decade in Manchester usually mention that they lived primarily on oatmeal and potatoes. But as gruel and potatoes are not very easy to carry, perhaps the bread was a special treat for the family's 'grand day out'. 

Where this film really hits the nail on the head is Leigh's uncompromising depiction of the enormity of the class divide. The revolting gluttony of the Prince Regent (Tim McInnenry - who was clearly enjoying himself) and the Manchester magistrates' comfortable lifestyle is starkly contrasted with the bare, comfortless homes of the working classes.  

In our age of austerity, and a hopelessly divided Britain, the story of Peterloo has never been more topical. Do go and see the movie.