Peterloo (film)
| Peterloo | |
|---|---|
.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Mike Leigh |
| Written by | Mike Leigh |
| Produced by | Georgina Lowe |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Dick Pope |
| Edited by | Jon Gregory |
| Music by | Gary Yershon |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Entertainment One |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 154 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Peterloo is a 2018 British historical drama, directed and written by Mike Leigh, based on the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. The film was selected to be screened in the main competition section of the 75th Venice International Film Festival.[2][3] The film received its UK premiere on 17 October 2018, as part of the BFI London Film Festival, in Manchester. The screening marks the first time the festival has held a premiere outside London. Leigh said he was delighted that Peterloo would be premiered "where it happened."[4]
It was released in the United Kingdom on 2 November 2018,[5] by Entertainment One and in the United States on 5 April 2019, by Amazon Studios.
Background
The film Peterloo will mark the 200th anniversary of the notorious Peterloo Massacre.
On 16 August 1819, a crowd of some 60,000 people from Manchester and surrounding towns gathered in St Peter’s Fields to demand Parliamentary reform and an extension of voting rights. The meeting had been peaceful but in the attempt to arrest a leader of the meeting, the armed government militias panicked and charged upon the crowd. The toll of casualties has always been disputed, but as many as 15 people were killed and up to 700 wounded. The immediate effect of the massacre was a crackdown on reform, as the authorities feared the country was heading towards armed rebellion. However, the outcry led to the founding of the Manchester Guardian and played a significant role in the passage through Parliament of the Great Reform Act 13 years later.[6]
Cast
- David Bamber
- Alastair Mackenzie as John Byng
- James Dangerfield
- Eileen Davies
- Liam Gerrard
- Bronwyn James
- Rory Kinnear as Henry Hunt
- Nico Mirallegro
- Maxine Peake
- Pearce Quigley
- Tim McInnerny as the Prince Regent
- Dorothy Duffy
- Philip Jackson
- John Paul Hurley as John Thacker Saxton
- Harry Peter Bradley
Production
Filming began in May 2017.[7]
Production used the Tarred Yarn Store and the exterior of the Ropery to double as a Cotton Mill in Manchester, at the Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent. St Mary’s Marshes on the Isle of Grain also appears in a short scene at the beginning of the film, when a lonely figure is seen walking along the marshes.[8]
Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 63%, based on 52 reviews with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Peterloo proves writer-director Mike Leigh's populist anger remains undimmed - but that righteous fury occasionally overpowers the narrative."[9] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]
See also
References
- ^ "Peterloo". Venice International Film Festival 2018. Venice Biennale. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
- ^ Anderson, Ariston (25 July 2018). "Venice to Kick Off Awards Season With New Films From Coen Brothers, Luca Guadagnino and Alfonso Cuaron". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick (25 July 2018). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Heavy on Award Hopefuls, Netflix and Star Power". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ Korsner, Jason (16 August 2018). "London Film Festival to premiere Mike Leigh's Peterloo drama – in Manchester". What's Worth Seeing... Retrieved 16 August 2018.
- ^ "'PETERLOO' Coming To Cinemas 2 November 2018". Filmoria.co.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ King, Ray (8 July 2017). "Mike Leigh starts shooting film about Peterloo massacre". I Love Manchester. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
- ^ Thompson, Anne (17 May 2017). "Mike Leigh Starts Shooting 'Peterloo,' Amazon-Backed Period Drama". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office Peterloo Article".
- ^ "Peterloo (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ "Peterloo Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
External links
- Peterloo at the British Film Institute
- Peterloo at IMDb