Peterloo (2018)

The story of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre where British forces attacked a peaceful pro-democracy rally in Manchester.

Director:

Mike Leigh

Writer:

Mike Leigh

Stars:

Rory Kinnear, Maxine Peake, Neil Bell

2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rory Kinnear	...	Henry Hunt
Maxine Peake	...	Nellie
Pearce Quigley	...	Joshua
David Moorst	...	Joseph
Rachel Finnegan	...	Mary
Tom Meredith	...	Robert
Simona Bitmate	...	Esther
Robert Wilfort	...	Lord Liverpool, the Prime Minister
Karl Johnson	...	Lord Sidmouth, the Home Secretary
Sam Troughton	...	Mr. Hobhouse
Roger Sloman	...	Mr. Grout
Kenneth Hadley	...	Mr. Golightly
Tom Edward-Kane	...	Mr. Cobb
Lizzy McInnerny	...	Mrs. Moss
Alastair Mackenzie	...	General Sir John Byng

Storyline

An epic portrayal of the events surrounding the infamous 1819 Peterloo Massacre, where a peaceful pro-democracy rally at St Peter's Field in Manchester turned into one of the bloodiest and most notorious episodes in British history. The massacre saw British government forces charge into a crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered to demand political reform and protest against rising levels of poverty. Many protesters were killed and hundreds more injured, sparking a nationwide outcry but also further government suppression. The Peterloo Massacre was a defining moment in British democracy which also played a significant role in the founding of The Guardian newspaper.

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Plot Keywords:

manchester | year 1819 | rally | protest rally | prime minister | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a sequence of violence and chaos

Did You Know?

Trivia

90% of the crowd during the sequence at St. Peter's Field were digitally duplicated and created; in reality, there were 200 extras. The sequence was filmed at Tilbury Port, and many of the buildings were also added in post-production, re-created from historical records.

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Goofs

The young Waterloo veteran who continues to wear his redcoat during the film can be seen in one shot with Corporal stripes whereas the rest of the film his tunic is that of a Private.

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Quotes

Prince Regent: I know what is good for my people better than they know themselves!

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Connections

Referenced in Granada Reports: 17 October 2018: Evening Bulletin (2018)

User Reviews

Look upon it as a history lesson.

Like most working-class Brits, I knew nothing of Peterloo (and I am from Manchester into the bargain).

Mike Leigh has done an excellent job, documenting this momentous event in British history, an event conveniently airbrushed out of my secondary school education. Imagine that.

A good 2.5 hrs long, it would make a decent 12 part Netflix drama. Though, he'd never get the funding for that.

It is long, it is educational, it is historical, it is incredibly worthy. Watch it and draw parallels with the Britain of today. FPTP electoral system, zero-hours contracts, food banks, Brexit, et al.

i gave it a 9.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Peterloo

Filming Locations:

Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,002, 7 April 2019

Gross USA:

$151,971

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,998,945

Company Credits

Production Co:

BFI Film Fund, Film4, Thin Man Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min

Color:

Color Color (ACES)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1