Pride (2014)
- Oct 5, 2014
- 2 min read
Directed by: Matthew Warchus
Starring: Ben Schnetzer, George MacKay, Matthew Flynn, Andrew Scott, Imelda Staunton,
Premièred in 2014 in London, UK, released in the UK on September 12th 2014.
It's the 1980s and Thatcher's threats to close the mines that many villages depend on to provide work has resulted in nationwide strikes. So in steps LGSM (Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners) who do their best to raise money to help the miners who are now being beaten by the policemen who weeks before were bashing them. None of the miners unions are willing to accept their donations and so they give their takings directly to a village. The small Welsh village of Onllwyn accept the donations, but as the group's contributions become larger, and the gay activists introduce themselves to the villagers, they must all overcome the deep-seated hatred both within the village, and back back at home to show solidarity and support to all.
This film is based on the real life events of 1984 in Onllwyn and London. It's a brilliant, beautiful, uplifting story with its feet firmly rooted in reality. It avoids getting bogged down in cliches and stereotypes, instead presenting genuine, real people, and encapsulating the atmosphere of the time.
Visually, musically, and just generally appealing, full of highs and lows and believability, not to mention based on true events. There was one or two places where things may have dragged a little but there is no denying that a lot of thought and passion went into bringing this wonderful heartfelt story to life.
While I was aware of the of the mining strikes before this, it was never more than just vague generalisations about the problem en-masse. This film highlights the struggle from every angle, allowing each person to be a unique individual with heart and soul that breathes life and humanity into the conflicts at the centre of the story. It highlights not just the division and discrimination on all sides, but the beauty of community and inclusion that arose around the situation.
Given the basic understanding you're presented with from the offset, the beats are visible from a mile away but that point isn't the plot, it's the people pushing you to connect with them so that you care about every hardship and victory. This isn't just a story, these are people that this happened to and that matters. It plays to this perfectly, combining visual elements, stellar acting, and a beautiful soundtrack to create not just a story and a plotline but a world, a chance to step back in time and learn about how far we as a society have come and how much further we can still go.
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