The Spirit of 45 review for Dig Yorkshire

The Spirit of 45 

Ken Loach 

Screening at Showroom Cinema, Sheffield

Review for Dig Yorkshire

The Spirit of 45 is the latest documentary to come from British social realist filmmaker Ken Loach. For some, this film will be music to the ears, or an inspirational education for those oblivious to the success of Britain’s post-war recovery. To others, extremely partisan, left wing and idealistic. Welcome to Loach’s celebration of 1945; the year when energies once concentrated on fighting the war were shrewdly re-concentrated upon building better lives for the British people, avoiding similar stagnation and severe unemployment to that which followed the First World War.

Loach the filmmaker and man is the perfect listener and lets the people tell the story of the age through their own words. In an attempt to capture the spirit of ’45, bottle it, and release it today. His approach to filmmaking is kindred to the era which he celebrates - granting time for others to be heard and accounted for. Interviewees share hard-hitting stories of ‘poverty parks’, dirty knees and shoeless feet or hiding from the doctor’s collector - before the NHS was founded, costs were incurred as soon as the doctor’s foot crossed the threshold. 

Loach’s film does not feel intensely manufactured but quite natural. It has factual basis, with archival footage and historical documentation. Contemporary interviews with economists and modern day surgeons used to juxtapose with the older voices. We meet elderly ex-miners still deeply affected by the injustice of pit closures. An outstanding character is a lovely Liverpudlian who recalls reading the Ragged Trousered Philanthropist in the 50’s and no longer did he wish to be impoverished or politically powerless.

Substantial decisions and rapid action were essential to rebuilding Britain and general morale post-war. The Spirit of 45 does well to stress the importance of the Beveridge report. William Beveridge set about to challenge the five 'Giant Evils' of 'Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness'. His report underpinned future social legislation and the founding of the welfare state by Clement Atlee when he became Prime Minister. One of the most moving moments of the film is seeing Atlee’s modest and gracious speech accepting his position, and devoting himself to the delivery of a new era, through his socialist Labour Party.

Look out for the sight of Lady Thatcher. It incited an audibly acidic reaction in the cinema audience – a sudden, stark juxtaposition with the optimistic triumphs of socialism and nationalism. Loach does this for dramatic, comedic effect and I think we’re wise to take it as such. The film skips years ahead to this point, to trigger an emotive reaction to the deep plummet into privatisation, and missing the slow trickle away of socialism over the decades. 

Loach is perhaps aiming for The Spirit of 45 to be a call to arms. He is certainly not delivering such inspiring material to leave us without cause for concern and definitely not without nostalgia. Today we are obviously not driven by post-war recovery. All the same, The Spirit of 45 illustrates a society acting for the greater good and not for the individual.  His interviewees, young and old, are vexed by the graveity of the present situation and speak volumes for having a social conscience. The spirit of the welfare state is not entirely forgotten, but it is undernourished. Loach reminds us that we are the people with the power to fight for it.

The Spirit of 45 is screening at The Showroom Cinema in Sheffield from 15^th March, and 40 other cinemas nationwide, and is set for DVD release on April 15^th.