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?'
