Still the Enemy Within (2014)

Still the Enemy Within is a unique insight into one of history's most dramatic events: the 1984-85 British Miners' Strike. No experts. No politicians. Thirty years on, this is the raw ... See full summary »

Director:

Owen Gower

Writer:

Owen Gower (story)

Stars:

Norman Strike, Paul Symonds, Steve Hammill

Cast

Credited cast:
Norman Strike	...	Himself
Paul Symonds	...	Himself
Steve Hammill	...	Himself
Mike Jackson	...	Himself
Joe Henry	...	Himself
Jim Tierney	...	Himself
Ron Stoat	...	Himself
Joyce Sheppard	...	Herself
Betty Cook	...	Herself
Anne Scargil	...	Herself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alan Chimes	...	Young Howard
Phelim Kelly	...	Miner
Dean Kingdon	...	Miner
Wesley Lloyd	...	Miner
Roy Martin Thorn	...	Police officer / miner (as Roy Thorn)

Storyline

Still the Enemy Within is a unique insight into one of history's most dramatic events: the 1984-85 British Miners' Strike. No experts. No politicians. Thirty years on, this is the raw first-hand experience of those who lived through Britain's longest strike. Follow the highs and lows of that life-changing year.

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

June 2014 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Yorkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£250,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bad Bonobo

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

User Reviews

60 % // 40 % This is a powder puff piece for the unions but they were still 60% in the right

I agree with another reviewer here, it would have been nice to get some other perspectives, especially the police, perhaps even the Coal Board members that worked in the strike years. Perhaps even members of Thatchers government that were involved in those 84/85 strike years. It also has to be said that the TUC did have to be reined in. The "Winter of discontent" of 1978 to 79 had all of us who lived through it, in a state of shock and disbelief. The unions seemed to run the country, it was this "winter" that augured in Thatcher. Essentially the unions invited Thatcher to break them up. Another point to all of this lost in the shuffle was Arthur Scargill was an idiot. He had many moments where an actual compromise could have been reached. But he chose to ignore common sense. The brilliance of Thatcher was to divide and conquer , was to go after the NUM , to use the media, with chilling effect. What came out of the whole affair was devastation, wholesale dismantling of communities , lives shattered. Britain was never the same. The one thing that is positive about the documentary and the history of unions is this. No matter what, workers can still organize, if the powers that be become tyrannical the workers can still collectivize and temper that tyranny.