Land and Freedom - a comrade's review

Thanks to one of our Derby comrades for this guest post.

Land and Freedom

The Derby branch meeting on Thursday 1 August took a different format to usual meetings. After a report back from the recent activity in support of the People’s Assembly and the Unite meeting, the branch members sat down to watch Ken Loach’s ‘Land and Freedom’ (1995).

In a rather hot room, we were grateful for lots of cold drinks provided by a generous member of the branch and, after setting up and opening a few windows, the screening began. ‘Land and Freedom’ is not a short film but in spite of the heat comrades quickly settled and were transfixed by Loach’s take on the Spanish civil war.

In many ways, the film is about discoveries and there are two intersecting stories of discovery which span generations of the same family. Having lost her grandfather, Kim, played by Suzanne Maddock, begins to sort through David’s things. As she reads his letters and studies the newspaper clippings, Kim uncovers David’s past.

Along with Kim, we are on a journey to explore the past of David, a member of the communist party who is moved by a speech on the Spanish civil war and decides that he is going out to fight for the militia. However, David has a further journey of discovery to make and his experiences in Spain challenge his commitment to the communist party, his understanding of the complexities of the different groups involved in the uprising and his relationships with those people he meets along the way.

In his first letter home, David, played by Ian Hart, is confident that all of the different groups will be able to work together because they are all fighting for the same thing. Hart’s portrayal of the optimism and youthful passion which spurs him into action is beautifully done and, whilst it would be easy for a naive and optimistic youth to appear cliched and to be presented in a dismissive manner, Loach imbues him with a charm, complexity and sweetness that makes him real and empathetic.

Hart’s performance is consistently endearing. Nevertheless, fittingly for a film which deals so knowingly with socialist issues, the audience does not find itself consistently agreeing with or admiring the actions and statements of our hero. It is with time and the influence of those around him, as well as the experiences that he encounters, that David refines and develops his appreciation of the wider issues at stake. As such, David is one of an ensemble cast of socialists, communists, anarchists, militia, bourgeoisie and those simply motivated by their opposition to fascism. Though of course, one of the other stars of the film is the Spanish countryside itself, captured with expert photography to enhance and reflect the action.

The centre-piece of the film is, in many ways, a discussion amongst members of the militia and the residents of a village which they have liberated from fascist control. As a lengthy discussion of ideologies, this scene could all too easily feel contrived, yet with Loach’s sense of realism and his mastery of naturalistic dialogue, it becomes an incredibly insightful and dramatic response to the political issues at stake. The scene is, in essence, a beautiful and inspirational depiction of socialism in action, with quiet considered voices vying alongside impassioned speeches and lots of shouting, both in Spanish and English, as those who seek to influence the discussion are gently drawn into a genuine democratic assembly, in which the ideas put forward are discussed and voted on by all.

With a cast of well drawn and complex characters, the thing which really makes this film so moving and so typical of Loach’s work when it is at its best, is that whilst the problems faced by Spain’s elected republican government, both from the fascists and from within, are laid out, Loach manages to create a sense of optimism and the tangibility of a socialist victory. As ever, his films have the feel of reality but without the cynicism which could so readily have characterised a film about the Spanish civil war.

As the lights came back up in the hall, there were very few dry eyes but many smiles of uplifted inspiration. Loach’s treatment of this period of history shares similarities with Orwell’s ‘Homage to Catalonia’ and Hemingway’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’, as well as the more recent ‘Winter in Madrid’ (C.J. Sansom) but it is easy to see why writers and directors would return to the theme: the experiences of the Spanish civil war not only exemplify the problems which can face socialist movements but also reflect an almost unique experience: there was a genuinely peasant led socialist movement in mainland Europe which came close to being successful, and, at least in many villages, was able to institute collectivism, but which saw defeat snatched from the hands of victory. Loach’s contribution to this subject is highly recommended to anyone hoping to understand socialism, anyone interested in the civil war or Spanish history, and anyone who loves beautifully crafted stories.

Next week's meeting, 8th August, will be on 'What does the working class look like today?'