"Sound the Trumpet"
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What You Need To Know:
There are many movies where the underdog achieves. Here, the men still lose their work and their relationships are soured, but they do persevere in spirit. The music is beautiful and triumphant, yet it is a little difficult to believe that they are as good as they are when personal survival is at stake. The acting kudos go to Pete Postlethwaite, who commandeers the troops to emotional victory when every other battle is being lost. Flawed by the politics of envy, this movie criticizes the Tories and is almost propagandistic. This movie has little objectionable content except some foul language
Content:
(B, H, LLL, N, A, D, M) Moral worldview emphasizing perseverance & brotherly love marred by class envy & humanist perspectives; 22 obscenities, 3 profanities, several British colloquial terms of discontent, & a few mild sexually oriented jokes; no violence, except for an attempted suicide; natural upper male & rear male nudity in shower scene; alcohol use; smoking; and, miscellaneous immorality including emotionally disturbing scenes of family break-up & job loss
More Detail:
Combining the emotional strength and musical brilliance of MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS with the labor struggles in John Sayle’s MATEWAN, BRASSED OFF documents the devastating effect of a coal mine closure on the members of a colliery brass band and their families in Yorkshire, England, during 1992.
Grimley Colliery Band has been a pillar of the local community for over 100 years. Its leader Danny (Pete Postlethwaite) believes that the members of the band should expect and practice nothing but excellence. However, as the threat of a mine closure ensues, the band members get restless and sloppy with their work.
When Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald) enters, so does a renewed passion for music. Her beautiful face and her beautiful playing inspire the others to do their best. She doesn’t go unnoticed by band member and former childhood sweetheart, Andy (Ewan McGregor). As they get to know one another again, Andy discovers that she works for management, the group that is trying to close the mine. Angered, he refuses to see her again, as do other members of the band. Yet, Danny keeps the group together, and the band returns triumphant from the National Semi-Finals.
On return, they find the mine has been closed. Danny suffers from a fall due to pneumoconiosis, and Danny’s son, trombone player Phil, loses his family, home and even the will to live. As Danny is placed in the hospital, the band rallies one more time to play “Danny Boy” outside his window. Gloria, shamed that her office closed down the mine and the band, quits work and donates the remaining moneys needed to bring the band to the National Championship in London.
There are many movies where the underdog wins. The recent movie PARADISE ROAD demonstrates oppressed women overcoming with music. Here, oppressed men still lose their work, and their relationships are soured, but they do persevere in spirit. The music is beautiful and triumphant, yet it is a little difficult to believe that they are as good as they are when personal survival is at stake. Furthermore, the movie downplays their practice time.
Ewan McGregor is largely unknown in the United States, but he was in the shocking TRAINSPOTTING and in the MOVIEGUIDE award-winning EMMA. Here, he does little but play pool, play his instrument and complain. The acting kudos go to Pete Postlethwaite, who commandeers the troops to emotional victory when every other battle is being lost. In London, he gives a rousing speech before government leaders and the upper class about the necessity of looking after the common man.
Flawed by the politics of envy, the movie criticizes Margaret Thatcher and the Tories and is almost propagandistic. At the end, the movie asks you to draw your own conclusions, but clearly, the miners fault the government for destroying their livelihoods. The movie states that the government could be forgiven if the mines could be proven to be unprofitable, but the movie claims that the mines are still viable and competitive with newer energy sources. Similar in power and theme as IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER (also starring Pete Postlethwaite), this movie has less objectionable content and is aimed at the music-loving, mature audience member.
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