Mike
Leigh’s oeuvre is always worth revisiting whether it’s his TV work or his
feature films. Meantime (1983) was the eighth of nine features he made for
British TV in the 1970’s and early 1980’s and the only one not for the BBC.
This, the first of his overtly politicised films, was produced by Central
television for Channel 4 and premiered at the London Film Festival in 1983
before it was shown on television in December the same year.
1983
was the fourth year of Margaret Thatcher’s reign and the similarities between
her policy’s and these of the David Cameron right wing government following
2015’s General Election are uncanny with the blame for the counties ills being
laid squarely in lap of the ordinary working people who have to suffer the
austerity forced upon them whilst the real villains, Bankers, City of London
and the rest of the rich establishment are not only let of scot free but are
getting wealthier. The disaffection shown in the film is to a very great extent
the same that is being shown via social media today and could quite easily
erupt into something far more dangerous.
This
was the first of three films by Leigh that came out of the Thatcher period and
does a grand job of getting into the emotion of the times. The grim prospect of
permanent unemployment looms large over the narrative. It was while Leigh was
making a previous film that he heard about the suicide of two young kids who
died together because they were both on the dole and felt they had no future.
Although Meantime was not about this
incident it did start the directors thought pattern with the main point of the
film being unemployment and the work schemes that the government had produced
which were for short time employment only and amounted to very little.
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| Mark. |
The
movie, like many of Leigh’s films and plays, uses as its driving force the
family unit. Our family live in a tower block, Bryant Court, Whiston Road in
the East End of London, they are struggling to keep a float during the
recession. Father Frank, (Jeff Robert) a man with responsibilities and a home,
but because of the fact there is no work he is a man who has lost his dignity,
leaving him bitter and frustrated. Frank is married to Mavis (Pam Ferris) who
attempts to keep the peace between Frank and his two sons when there
frustrations regularly erupt, all three men sign on at the Benefits Office
together. The more outspoken of the two brothers is Mark (Phil Daniels), a very
intelligent young man who under different circumstances should be able to make his
own way out of cesspit created by Thatcher and her henchmen. The landscape of
life at the time did not offer the Mark's of this world an opportunity to work and
therefore building up their self-respect. His brother Colin (Tim Roth) is quite
simple minded and at times easily led, but we can see quite easily right through
Mark’s bravado that he loves his brother and tries to protect him, witnessed
when Mark rescues him from the influence of the local bad boy, a skinhead
called Coxy (Gary Oldman). The narrative underlines the contrast between the
world of benefits, tower blocks and a poverty existence and Mavis' s sister Barbara
(Marion Bailey) and her Bank Manager husband John (Alfred Molina) middle class
existence. They live in a nice semi detached in Chigwell, an affluent part of
north London, in what appears to be a rather loveless marriage.
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| Colin. |
Again
we find that Mike Leigh has produced an excellent film with no written script,
finding the actors and developing and producing the story. Each actor creating and
researching his or her own backstory. Uncannily the members of the ‘family’
look like they could be related! It was Alan Clarke that had recommended Tim
Roth who plays Colin in this his first feature film role, and was only Gary
Oldman’s second feature film in what would become a long and distinguished
career. Marion Bailey is Leigh real life partner and had worked with him before
and since, recently as Sophia Booth in Mr Turner (2014).
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| Coxy. |
The
film is honest in its depiction of life in 1983 Britain and at spelling out the
feelings and aspirations of the characters and their lives. None of the circumstances that the two
brothers find themselves in can obscure the fact that they love one another.
It's obvious enough that Frank and Mavis are not to blame for their
circumstances and that they cope as well as they can with their economic
problems and unemployment and lack of cultural stimulus, Mavis’s only outlet is
a Bingo game! To me it is clear that Barbara's feelings towards Mark are due to
her sexless relationship with her bank manager husband, the question of having
children is raised but never explained? Barbara’s plan for Colin to work in her
house on a painting and decorating project is used as a metaphor for those
useless Tory short-term work schemes. Therefore as I have opined unemployment is
certainly the driving force behind the movie. Who is worse off Barbara or
Mavis, Barbara has choices whereas Mavis does not, based on this Mavis is the
worst off of the two sisters or is she? Have human condition changed in our
modern world with its class and culture clashes: would Mark get a politically
motivated job, would the state stand by Colin, will a now retired Frank and
Mavis be the same as we left them only collecting the State pension?
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| David Cameron in drag? |
A
tragic and honest discourse, which mirrors modern Britain, but one that retains
an important sense of humour. Shot
around the East End of London with location shooting even taking place inside
an actual lift! It has a remarkable cast and is one of Mike Leigh’s most
important films and one that should be revisited in the austerity ridden world
of 2015!
