Forgotten cinema on Blu-ray from Britain

By Christopher P. Jacobs
Movies Editor

Much like the Criterion Collection in the United States, the British Film Institute in England is noted for bringing uniquely memorable films to DVD and Blu-ray, naturally with a concentration on the work of British filmmakers. Unfortunately most of their releases are region-coded so they can be played only on European players, but several titles are region-free and playable world-wide. One of those is the all but unknown 1987 British epic, “Comrades,” released to Blu-ray in 2009.

Directed by the late Bill Douglas, the film definitely has a somewhat left-leaning attitude, but its title conjures unfortunate and misleading connotations of overt socialist/communist propaganda or perhaps a sprawling epic of the Russian revolution like “Reds”—a far cry from what it actually is. “Comrades” is instead a quiet, human drama of early 19th-century Englishmen striving for fairness and justice, that evolves into a mini-epic of sorts and a parallel theme of early itinerant entertainers as purveyors of news and information about the outside world.

The basic plot follows the lives of six mild-mannered village laborers in 1830 Dorset whose wages are regularly being reduced. When their request for a raise is assured by the local landowner, they find their next pay is actually lower than before. This prompts them to walk out and form a secret trade union for their mutual support, an activity that quickly prompts the local magistrate to have them all deported to Australia, although public opinion eventually grows to support the six men who have become known as the “Tolpuddle Martyrs.”

The first half of this three-hour film carefully sets up the situation and family lives of the six men, leading to the trial that results in their deportation. The second half dramatizes their separate experiences as convicts in 1830s Australia, until their ultimate reunion (so to speak, pun intended) and return to England. Acting performances are outstanding all around, with relative unknowns playing the villagers, led by Robin Soans as George Loveless, and several major British stars as various aristocrats, including Michael Hordern, Vanessa Redgrave, and James Fox.

Alex Norton does an amazing job in about a dozen roles throughout the film as a traveling lecturer/exhibitor of “magic lantern” slides, among other things. His character is relating the story to the audience, as the “lanternist” as well as a number of other showmen such as a silhouette artist, a photographer, etc., continuing the interlocking dramatic thread of popular entertainment as a much-needed relief from any labor for all social classes, and as something that transcends class and wealth.

The film’s style immediately calls to mind the intensely visual approach of Nicolas Roeg (especially “Walkabout”) with its minute attention to detail and sometimes elliptical plot chronology that forces viewers to make connections themselves. Due to the concentration on setting, costumes, and props to establish the period and characters’ situations, the high-definition picture seen on a large screen does much to enhance this film’s enjoyment and its dramatic impact. There are also elements of Ingmar Bergman and Peter Bogdanovich, including striking (and lingering) image compositions and especially the incorporation of numerous references to the early history and pre-history of filmmaking and exhibition.

Despite the film’s great length and often leisurely pace, it constantly holds interest due to its sometimes overwhelmingly realistic recreation of the period. About the only fault of the film is that the six men are treated so much as a group that it is often easy to confuse individuals and various character relationships at first, making it harder to get as close to them as characters as one might like.

This is a superb HD transfer with a beautiful picture and good sound, though it doesn’t use its stereo to the fullest. While there is no audio commentary, the BFI’s region-free Blu-ray includes a nice 36-page illustrated booklet, a half-hour of 1978 interviews with the director, 15 minutes of recent recollections by the cast, an original news feature taped while the film was shooting, a trailer, and a half-hour short co-written by Douglas. Best of all, however, is a wonderful hour-long 2009 mostly hi-def documentary, “Lanterna Magicka,” about Douglas’ life, career, and deep interest in the foundations of cinema. Besides being packed with information, it spotlights his extensive collection of early film and pre-cinema artifacts, which are now part of a Centre for the History of Cinema and Popular Culture at the University of Exeter.

“Comrades” is an outstanding recreation of a little-known incident from British history, cleverly working in a wonderful evocation of the very beginnings of what eventually became the movies. It can be ordered through amazon.co.uk for about $20 including shipping from England.

“COMRADES” on Blu-ray — Movie: A- / Video: A+ / Audio: A / Extras: A-

Questions and comments: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)