''Comrades'' is a 1986 British historical drama film directed by

Bill Douglas William Gerald Douglas (17 April 1934 – 18 June 1991) was a Scottish film director best known for the trilogy of films about his early life. Biography Born in Newcraighall on the outskirts of Edinburgh, he was brought up initially by his ...

and starring an

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast t ...

including

Robin Soans Robin Soans (born 20 June 1946) is a British actor, and a playwright specialising in verbatim and documentary plays. These plays include ''Across the Divide'' (2007); ''A State Affair'' (2000) which looked at life on a Bradford estate, produced ...

, Phil Davis, Keith Allen,

Robert Stephens Sir Robert Graham Stephens (14 July 193112 November 1995) was a leading English actor in the early years of Britain's Royal National Theatre. He was one of the most respected actors of his generation and was at one time regarded as the nat ...

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...

and

James Fox William Fox (born 19 May 1939), known professionally as James Fox, is an English actor. He appeared in several notable films of the 1960s and early 1970s, including '' King Rat'', '' The Servant'', ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' and ''Performan ...

. Through the pictures of a travelling lanternist, it depicts the story of the

Tolpuddle Martyrs The Tolpuddle Martyrs were six agricultural labourers from the village of Tolpuddle in Dorset, England, who, in 1834, were convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. They were arrested on ...

, who were arrested and transported to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

in 1834 for trying to improve their conditions by forming an early form of trade union.BFI Screenonline: ''Comrades (1986)''
Retrieved 2012-11-07 It was Bill Douglas's last film.

Cast

In credits order: *

as George Loveless, leader of the Tolpuddle Martyrs * William Gaminara as James Loveless, George Loveless's younger brother * Stephen Bateman as Old (Tom) Standfield * Philip Davis as Young (John) Standfield, Old Standfield's son * Jeremy Flynn as James Brine * Keith Allen as James Hammett *

Alex Norton Alexander Hugh Norton (born 27 January 1950) is a Scottish actor. He is known for his roles as DCI Matt Burke in the STV detective drama series '' Taggart'', Eric Baird in BBC Two sitcom '' Two Doors Down'', DCS Wallace in '' Extremely Dangerou ...

as Lanternist, Sergeant Bell, Diorama Showman, Laughing Cavalier, Wollaston, Ranger, Tramp, Sea Captain, McCallum, Silhouettist, and Mad Photographer * Michael Clark as Sailor * John Lee as Juggler *

Arthur Dignam Arthur Dignam (9 September 1939 – 9 May 2020) was an Australian stage and screen actor. Biography Dignam was born on Lord Howe Island. He attended Newington College in Sydney as a boarder in 1955 and 1956 and then the University of Sydney. ...

as Fop, Hammett's master in New South Wales *

as William Norfolk, (fictitious) Governor of New South Wales * John Hargreaves as Convict *

Michael Hordern Sir Michael Murray Hordern Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (3 October 19112 May 1995)Morley, Sheridan"Hordern, Michael Murray (1911–1995)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online e ...

as Mr Pitt, campaigner for the Martyrs' freedom *

Freddie Jones Frederick Charles Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com (12 September 1927 – 9 July 2019) was an English actor who had an extensive career in television, theatre and cinema productions for a ...

as Vicar of Tolpuddle * Murray Melvin as Frampton's Clerk *

as Mrs Violet Carlyle, owner of a New South Wales sheep station *

as James Frampton, Squire of Tolpuddle *

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.

as Mrs Wetham, owner of a Dorchester print shop *

Imelda Staunton Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre prod ...

as Betsy Loveless, wife of George Loveless * Katy Behean as Sarah Loveless, wife of James Loveless * Amber Wilkinson as Hetty Loveless, daughter of George Loveless * Patricia Healey as Mrs Brine, mother of James Brine * Shane Downe as Joseph Brine, younger brother of James Brine *

Sandra Voe Sandra Voe (born 6 October 1936) is a Scottish actress of film, television, and theatre. Career Television and films Voe began her on screen career in 1966, appearing in an episode of ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook''. She has also appeared in '' ...

as Diana Standfield, wife of Old Standfield, mother of Young Standfield * Valerie Whittington as Elvi Standfield, daughter of Old Standfield, younger sister of Young Standfield *

Harriet Doyle This article features minor fictional characters who appear as guest stars on the television program ''Angel'', ordered alphabetically. For the show's main characters, please see the article list of ''Angel'' characters. A Alonna Gunn Alonna ...

as Charity Standfield, daughter of Old Tom Standfield, younger sister of Young Standfield * Patrick Field as John Hammett, brother of James Hammett, the village carpenter * Heather Page as Bridget Hammett, wife of John Hammett *

Joanna David Joanna David (born Joanna Elizabeth Hacking; 17 January 1947) is an English actress, best known for her television work. Life David was born in Lancaster, England, to Davida Elizabeth (''née'' Nesbitt) and John Almond Hacking. In 1971, she ...

as Mrs Frampton * Trevor Ainsley as Gentlemen Farmer #1 *

Malcolm Terris Malcolm Hope Terris (11 January 1941 – 6 June 2020) was an English actor. He acted in many television programmes, including possibly his best-known role as Matt Headley in '' When the Boat Comes In'', a popular 1970s series. His film career ...

as Gentlemen Farmer #2 * Dave Atkins as Frampton's Foreman *

Alex McCrindle Alex McCrindle (3 August 1911 – 20 April 1990) was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his role as General Jan Dodonna in '' Star Wars''. Biography McCrindle was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He began his acting career in 1937 starring i ...

as Jailor *

Shane Briant Shane Briant (17 August 1946 – 26 May 2021) was an English actor and novelist. Briant studied law at Trinity College Dublin but became a professional actor playing the lead in '' Hamlet'' at the Eblana Theatre, Dublin. Briant is best known ...

as Official in New South Wales *

Lynette Curran Lynette Curran is an Australian actress known for many roles in Australian television series and films, including the soap opera '' Bellbird'', and the films ''Country Town'' (1971) and '' Bliss'' (1985). Theatre She started acting in the t ...

as Prostitute in New South Wales * Symon Parsonage as Charlie, a teenage convict *

Anna Volska Anna Volska (born 1 December 1944 in Milanówek, Poland) is an Australian stage and television actress. She arrived in Australia when she was young and has acted from a young age. Television work Volska has appeared in many Australian televi ...

as Woman in White at Auction

Production

The film had a very long and troubled production. Although Bill Douglas had the screenplay ready in 1980, it took six years to complete it, due to problems of filming in England and Australia, Douglas's perfectionism, and conflicts with his first producer,

Ismail Merchant Ismail Merchant (born Ismail Noor Muhammad Abdul Rahman (25 December 1936 – 25 May 2005)) was an Indian film producer, director and screenwriter. He worked for many years in collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions which included Direct ...

. Parts of the film were shot in the ghost town of

Tyneham Tyneham is a ghost village abandoned in 1943 and former civil parish, now in the civil parish of Steeple with Tyneham, in south Dorset, England, near Lulworth on the Isle of Purbeck. In 2001 the civil parish had a population of 0. The civil ...

in south

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

which was taken over by the military during WWII for use as a training area and is still part of a large military range.

Release

The film was first shown at the Southampton Film Festival in February 1986. It was also shown at the

London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than 300 films, documentaries and shor ...

in 1986, and entered into the

37th Berlin International Film Festival The 37th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 20 February to 3 March 1987. The Golden Bear was awarded to the Soviet Union film ''Tema'' directed by Gleb Panfilov. The retrospective was in honour of Armenian-American film and ...

in February 1987. In August 1987 it was released in British cinemas. After a short run in cinemas, followed by a VHS release in 1989, the film was largely forgotten. However, 20 years later Bill Douglas' small but significant production was reappraised, and in 2009 the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

released a restored version of ''Comrades'' on DVD, followed in early 2012 by a three-disc dual format DVD and Blu-ray box set.

Reception

The film has been described as "a moving, magical poem of human dignity, decency and hope".

References

External links

* * * *
400 Blows, 18 October 2005: ''Simon Relph on Bill Douglas''
Retrieved 2012-11-07
400 Blows, 26 July 2005: ''Phil Davis on Bill Douglas''
Retrieved 2012-11-07 {{Sutherland Trophy 1986 films 1980s historical drama films Films directed by Bill Douglas British historical drama films Films set in 1834 Films set in Dorset Films set in colonial Australia Films set in New South Wales Drama films based on actual events Films about the labor movement 1986 drama films 1987 drama films 1987 films 1980s English-language films 1980s British films