Strike: An Uncivil War

The makers of this documentary have missed an opportunity to present a balanced view of the 1984 strike. The perspective of the miners is powerfully told, bringing to life the feelings of the miners and their communities, and the divisions between Nottinghamshire and other mining areas. The footage and eye witness accounts of the events at Orgreave tell a powerful story of politicized policing. What is skimmed over is that this strike was called without a ballot. Its aim was paralyze the electricity supply and steel industries, and inflict damage on a democratically elected government with no thought to the impact on other vulnerable citizens through power cuts etc. We needed to hear from the other side of the dispute. Also useful would have been some portrayal of the damage the trade union movement in general was inflicting on the prosperity of the country through the 70's and early 80's. This was a hugely important factor in the decision of the Thatcher government to "bend the rules" to defeat this strike.

Powerful viewing, worth watching, but flawed by it's lack of balance.

Couldn't help but compare this documentary to modern Britain. Forty years on and it's seems the government are using the same formula that Margaret Thatcher used all those years ago.

The documentary is told by the miners who are still waiting for answers. I found it incredibly raw and quite harrowing at times. Hearing how communities were ripped apart and how families lives have never been the same since made it difficult to watch at times.

The documentary made me think that the agenda back then is very, very similar to what's happening in our country now. The government Vs the working class.

I was pleased but surprised to find this unheralded documentary showing at my local Vue multiplex and attended a screening that attracted one other viewer. There have been several recent, quite unsympathetic docs on the strike so I was curious as to how this one would treat it.

The perspective is from miners themselves rather than from their former leaders or from commentators, apart from one BBC reporters at the time and a former policeman. That helps ground it into a working-class context, but I was less happy to be denied the necessary political context: where was the Labour party in this? It does mention the TUC's total lack of support but strangely portrays Scargill as no more than a rabble-rouser, out of his depth and outmanoeuvred by canny Conservative operators like Thatcher.

The coverage of the Orgreave battle between miners in a field near the coking plant and many thousands of uniformed police doesn't reveal anything new. The lack of serious injuries makes it appear more like a slightly riotous festival, certainly compared to the Marikana massacre in South Africa in 2012 in which 34 miners were murdered by the police.

In general, the film lacked a serious political analysis. But its presentation of the deep solidarity in mining communities, and how that was purposely destroyed by the Conservative government with the connivance of a right-wing Labour 'opposition', showed how much we have lost.

Why were the miner's strikes of 1984 and 1985 so divisive, so violent, why did a generation of voters despise and loathe The Tory party, and why did friends and families fall apart.

This very well made and interesting documentary goes some way to answering some of those questions, but sadly not all of them.

I don't get how this one passed me by, was it poorly advertised, or was the subject material just not enough for people?

Fascinating first hand evidence from miners up and down the country. Great use of stock footage, but if you're educated on events, you'll see how much was omitted, some of the scenes were truly staggering, violence of the highest order, perhaps they wanted to make this suitable for all?

It focuses, perhaps quite rightly on the miners, and its affect on them and their families, it just lacks a bit of content on the political side of things, what was going on behind the scenes.

I don't want to get too political, but I'd say the way they depicted both Thatcher and Scargill was interesting to say the least.

There was one particularly fascinating piece of info given, the chap that talked about 21 houses on his street, and all 21 houses being supported by people working in the mines.

Anyone that doesn't know these events should definitely check if out, it's a turbulent, but very interesting piece of history.

8/10.

Ignore the Tory on here saying "subjective rubbish". Sometimes things don't need a subjective view - calling hard working honest communities "the enemy within" is despicable. More people like these lads and this country might actually have something about it again.

This is well made and long overdue. One of my favourite movies is Brassed Off which is very much parallel to some of this. Working class people keep this bloody place going and those that believe they're above them and see them as people not to be taken seriously need bringing back down to earth. We waste too much money here on nonsense, talentless reality celebrities and characterless footballers.