The Uprising
In 1381, the English people were worn down, many grieving for those lost to the plague, half of the country's population. The corrupt council surrounding the fourteen year-old King Richard II (Woody Norman, "C'mon, C'mon") chose this moment to prop up financial resources depleted by war with France by levying a poll tax on these very laborers. One struggling farmer who lost his wife and two children, Ploughman (Andrew Garfield, "After the Hunt"), had had enough when the King's tax collectors came in manhandling young women and demanding his hard earned money, and his physical rebellion against this outrage sparked "The Uprising."
Laura's Review: B
Writer/director Paul Greengrass ("United 93," "The Lost Bus") combines the history of Wat Tyler’s (Cosmo Jarvis, TV's 'Shogun') Rebellion with the 14th century poem that inspired the legend of Robin Hood for his fictional Ploughman in a rousing tale of underdogs demanding change that resonates today, not just in his own home country, but in the U.S. Americans are sure to see the Cabinet of a certain Oval Office occupant in Richard II's self-interested council led by the Lord High Treasurer Robert Hales (Tom Hollander, TV's Feud: Capote vs. The Swans'), Chief Justice Belknapp (Stanley Townsend, "Florence Foster Jenkins") and the Archbishop of Canterbury Simon Sudbury (Stephen Dillane, "Darkest Hour"), not to mention a childish, duplicitous king. Most are certain to relate to the rising anger that spurs thousands to march on London, Greengrass immersing us within them.
Greengrass first illustrates the back-breaking labor of the peasantry as Ploughman struggles tilling a field, before he revolts against the injustices he witnesses ('Enough! We've given you Enough!'). It is not long before he is courted by Tyler to help lead the rebellion that has already succeeded in occupying Canterbury's Cathedral and freeing the preacher John Ball (Jamie Bell, TV's 'Half Man'), who had been imprisoned for heresy. Ploughman will prove a stabilizing influence, calming the bloodlust of Alyce (Thomasin McKenzie, "Fackam Hall") and making an impression on the Queen Mother (Katherine Waterston, "Fackham Hall"), who appears to appreciate his cause, when her carriage is stopped.
In London, the young king has been suffering nightmares about a mob approaching and must be coaxed to listen to his conniving council, his mother attempting to guide him towards the right path non-verbally. After the peasantry arrived in London, beheading both Hales and Sudbury and demanding the end of serfdom, the king agrees to meet them on the banks of the river Thames, but when Ploughman engages with the king's scribe (Sky Yang, "Whistle"), he's told the king cannot land and that he will meet them tomorrow at Mile End. The Queen Mother appears pleased at the course her son is taking, his scribe sets to work writing charters to give the land to the peasants and all are convinced the king will perform a miracle the next day.
It was a surprise to realize that the kid from "C'mon, C'mon" was playing the King and Norman holds his own amidst seasoned veterans, but Garfield is the star and his empathetic performance exudes decency and grounds the film. Those wondering if this is a Robin Hood origin story should be able to make up their minds during the film's last scene. Katherine Waterston is also a huge asset here, the actress conveying much of what's she is thinking without saying a word. An unrecognizable Jonny Lee Miller ("Trainspotting") plays the Mayor of London, whose role grows in size in the latter part of the film.
The production does well by its period from cinematographer Pål Ulvik Rokseth's use of natural light and immersion in the action to production, costume, makeup and hair design which doesn't shy away from period muck and filth (the royals, of course, excepted, Waterston's costuming, hair and makeup strikingly detailed). Greengrass' screenplay deftly melds fact and fiction, bringing the 14th century alive and making it relatable.
Focus Features releases "The Uprising" in theaters on 9/11/26.
