6. Brassed Off
After their coal mine shuts down, the troubled and bitter ex-workers of Grimethorpe pit decide to start up a Brass band. Headed by Pete Postlethwaite, the film goes a long way to paint a picture of a once thriving industry that is destroyed by circumstance and politics. If anyone grew up in a rural town in the 1980's and early 90's, then you will be well aware of coal mining closures that deeply affected Great Britain at that time - as a result, suicides went up, the country went on Strike and pretty much everyone around minimum wage wanted Margaret Thatcher's head on a plate - all of which is touched upon in Brassed Off. It is less a film about a rag tag bunch of Northerners putting together a band for kicks, and much more centered towards a political statement. This is something that was edited out of the marketing for across the pond, opting for a more cheerful romantic comedy pitch in the States; it is only when you see it that you realise that Brassed Off is anything but fun. The ending to the film is bitter sweet, something that is surely reflected in the real lives of all ex-miners at the time. In the final scene, Danny, played by Pete Postlethwaite refuses to accept a trophy and sums up the films tone quite perfectly: "...this bloody government has systematically destroyed an entire industry. OUR industry. And not just our industry our communities, our homes, our lives. All in the name of 'progress'. And for a few lousy bob."