MovieChat Forums > The Spirit of '45 (2013) Discussion > I loved this film

I loved this film

posted 11 years ago by musicbymartin
6 replies | jump to latest

It was moving and interesting. In this day and age, when all we hear are negative stories about the NHS (Stafford, Furness, Leeds etc) it was great to see a reminder of how the world might be without it. The man who spoke of fleas in his bed, whose two brothers died said it as eloquently as any politician, it was great to see really intelligent working people talking in heavy regional accents about Keynes and Milton Friedman, collectivism and history.

When, as it does on occasion, my faith in socialism wanes, I will dig out this movie and watch it again.

If you're not sure why we have an NHS in the UK,or if you have doubts about publicly owned organisation paid for by taxes, I urge you to watch this amazing movie. It will surely help you make up your mind.

[–] different-drummer 11 years ago

And it's important to remember that even though the UK was bankrupt and exhausted after WWII, we still somehow managed to achieve all those things we're now told we can't afford, despite being the 7th wealthiest nation in the world.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] keith1958 10 years ago

Me too. This is a lovely film and fills me with both pride and sorrow. It was a film that badly needed to be made also. A period in our history that is being gradually airbrushed out of history. Ken always gets the best from ordinary people in his films, and that woman was right. The older generation have a moral duty to talk to the young about what was done at that time.

[–] svenrufus 10 years ago

It is reaffirming to watch, a good presentation of the context and reasons - not to mention the immense benefits that came about from that period when socialism had the confidence to be itself. We can learn a lot from that today. I think your expression 'pride and sorrow' are very apt for this.

But I've got to say, that despite all those positive feelings for the subject matter, and despite being quite a Loach fan, I did find this film to be a bit 'worthy but dull'. It hits all the right notes for me on a political and social level. However, I don't think it had what it takes to be anything other than a decent track for preaching to the converted.

I think I might sound a bit churlish reading that back - I do think it was good, I do think it was important to make it, and it is inspirational as far as it goes, but I don't think this is a great work, I don't think it will captivate people who weren't already passionate about the subject.

[–] keith1958 9 years ago

I can understand your feelings that this film is a polemic. It's a documentary but not an analysis. I did not find it dull, the main reason for me was the interviews in it. It is so rare these days to see working class people presented as intelligent and deep thinking. if you have the 2 disc set, there are even more and some of them are heart breaking, especially the old dock worker.

In the modern byte sized sense though, you are right. People want things out on a plate for them these days. However, you a re right in that this was to an extent preaching to the choir, but I think it may have been deliberate. Loach is tired of waiting for the Labour party to return to these ideals and I think he made this film to appeal on two fronts. The first to energise the left wing of the Labour party and others of that ilk to go out and fight for the NHS. The second to encourage older folk who remember the welfare state and nationalised industry to go out and talk to the young. In that yes he definitely was preaching to the converted.

[–] Spinners1961 9 years ago

An excellent documentary. When I think about what was created and then allowed to become dismantled and discredited I could weep.