Comrades (1986)

The story of "The Tolpuddle Martyrs". A group of 19th century English farm labourers who formed one of the first trade unions and started a campaign to receive fair wages.

Director:

Bill Douglas

Writer:

Bill Douglas

Stars:

Keith Allen, Dave Atkins, Stephen Bateman

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Keith Allen	...	James Hammett
Dave Atkins	...	Mr. Frampton's Foreman
Stephen Bateman	...	Old Tom Stanfield
Katy Behean	...	Sarah Loveless
Mark Brown	...	Legg
Michael Clark	...	Sailor
Lynette Curran	...	Prostitute
Joanna David	...	Mrs. Frampton
Philip Davis	...	Young Stanfield
Arthur Dignam	...	Fop
Patrick Field	...	John Hammett
Jeremy Flynn	...	Brine
James Fox	...	Norfolk
William Gaminara	...	James Loveless
John Hargreaves	...	Convict

Storyline

The story of "The Tolpuddle Martyrs". A group of 19th century English farm labourers who formed one of the first trade unions and started a campaign to receive fair wages.

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Plot Keywords:

labor union | deportation | independent film

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 August 1987 (UK)

Also Known As:

Comrades - uomini liberi

Filming Locations:

Cerne Abbas, Dorset, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Skreba Films, National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC), Film Four International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

183 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First cinema film of Imelda Staunton.

User Reviews

A much needed eduction

Working class filmmaker Bill Douglas followed his much lauded autobiographical trilogy with this British Film Council funded poor man's epic about the Tolpuddle Martyrs and their struggle to establish an early trade union that was a worthy winner of the BFI Sutherland Trophy and a fitting final film for the director.

Soans puts in a strong central performance with able support from Gaminara, Bateman, Davis, Flynn and a roguish Allen, whilst Hordern, Jones, Fox, Windsor, Redgrave and an astonishing debut performance Staunton rounds out the cast and the omnipresent Norton fills in everything else.

The director retells the tale on a grand scale breathing new life into the story with atmospheric locations that perfectly capture rural Dorset and colonial Australia whilst remembering his own place as the story teller, in the form of the lanternist and his bag of tricks, and never loosing the central message of the union movement.

Remember thine end.