Peterloo
Multi-Oscar nominee Mike Leigh (Another Year) writes and directs this story on the 1819 Peterloo Massacre, where a peaceful pro-democracy rally turned violent when British forces stormed through the crowds.
"The massacre saw British government forces charge into a crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered to demand political reforms and protest against rising levels of poverty. Many protestors were killed and hundreds more injured, sparking a nationwide outcry but also further government suppression. The Peterloo Massacre was a defining moment in British democracy which also played a significant role in the founding of The Guardian newspaper." (Venice Film Festival)
- Director:
- Mike Leigh ('Mr. Turner', 'Another Year', 'Happy-Go-Lucky')
- Writer:
- Mike Leigh
- Cast:
- Rory KinnearMaxine PeakeTim McInnernyPearce QuigleyDavid MoorstRachel FinneganTom Meredith
Reviews & comments
Vulture
pressThose with the patience and attention span are rewarded; the last 30 minutes is perhaps the most visceral filmmaking Leigh has ever pulled off...
Variety
pressIt's a stately, explicitly rhetorical paean to the people - setting the past in stone while also lashing out at a present-day political order.
Time Out
pressThe authenticity is immersive, even if the historical exposition occasionally feels like prep for an exam no one's warned you about.
The Times
pressThere exists a cavernous gap between a powerful idea and a great movie, and it's where you will find this latest ambitious, if flawed, Mike Leigh project.
The Telegraph
pressThere is a danger of filing Peterloo away as an "important film" - but it is also a complex, rousing and rewarding one for anyone prepared to meet it on its own unapologetically ambitious terms.
The Guardian
pressWith this richly intelligent, passionate movie Mike Leigh has fought a brilliant rearguard action on history's political battlefield.
Screen Daily
pressThis magnificently-realised film moves from feeling like a long, dry history lesson to becoming an angrily-direct and emotional tribute to the reformers of the past.
Vulture
pressThose with the patience and attention span are rewarded; the last 30 minutes is perhaps the most visceral filmmaking Leigh has ever pulled off...
Variety
pressIt's a stately, explicitly rhetorical paean to the people - setting the past in stone while also lashing out at a present-day political order.
Time Out
pressThe authenticity is immersive, even if the historical exposition occasionally feels like prep for an exam no one's warned you about.
The Times
pressThere exists a cavernous gap between a powerful idea and a great movie, and it's where you will find this latest ambitious, if flawed, Mike Leigh project.
The Telegraph
pressThere is a danger of filing Peterloo away as an "important film" - but it is also a complex, rousing and rewarding one for anyone prepared to meet it on its own unapologetically ambitious terms.
The Guardian
pressWith this richly intelligent, passionate movie Mike Leigh has fought a brilliant rearguard action on history's political battlefield.
Screen Daily
pressThis magnificently-realised film moves from feeling like a long, dry history lesson to becoming an angrily-direct and emotional tribute to the reformers of the past.
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