Manic Impressive
6th January 2011, 05:26
A very British coup is a book by former Labour MP Chris Mullin which was adapted for television.
The basic plot is about what would happen if a working class socialist PM was elected. It clearly illustrates how the ruling class would stop at nothing to hinder any reforms that actually threatened their power including sabotage and an all out coup d'etat. The main character Harry Perkins is a 3rd generation steel worker from Sheffield whose manifesto is heavily influenced by Marxism. Examples of which are nationalization coupled with worker participation schemes to gradually hand over the means of production to the workers, freezing of assets of those trying to take large amounts of money out of the country, dismantling of media monopolies from the hands of a character who could only be based on Rupert Murdoch, withdrawal from NATO and the western alliance (it's set in 1982), nuclear disarmament and investing in renewable energy sources. Those are just a few things that I can remember, whether you would agree with his proposed actions in real life or not it's still interesting to see how the author imagines events would play out. I believe he was meant to be loosely based on Tony Benn however I feel that with his witty one liners and speeches he more closely resembles a British Hugo Chavez.
I actually preferred the TV adaptation to the book because of the alternate ending. which I'm going to hide behind this spoilerThe ending in the book is fairly disappointing basically he is forced to resign his position because of an accident at a nuclear power plant which he had pushed for before he became PM. In the TV version the bourgeoisie attempt to force his resignation by bringing false charges of embezzlement against him. This scene is absolutely fantastic in every way the acting is of the highest quality the dialogue is spot on and the suspense is built in a way which will have you on the edge of your seat. It's also one of the only scenes which is directed well throughout. The music is awful the director seems to like to try unusual camera angles which don't work at all although it is strewn with metaphors some of which work and others don't but in that one penultimate scene he finally gets it right I love the way the bourgeois bastards face is half in the light and half in the dark making one eye blue and one dark which gives him a sinister and monstrous look. I can see a metaphor there as people can always see the bourgeois but cannot always see their evil intentions.
It is very dated and while it may be about a socialist who participates in parliamentary politics written by a Labour MP please don't let that put you off as it ends up making a better argument for why a completely peaceful revolution is pretty much impossible.
It's on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/show/averybritishcoup?pl=7698A3E56FB596D2&ob=showav_n
but members outside of the UK need to use a proxy to watch it. If you don't have one try this http://www.daveproxy.co.uk/browse.php/a1.../TE_3D/b5/ (http://www.daveproxy.co.uk/browse.php/a1bac1e4/180cda14/df7Oi8vd/3d3Lnlvd/XR1YmUuY/29tL3dhd/GNoP3Y9T/FlaZlJrM/HlFbDgma/GFzX3Zlc/mlmaWVkP/TE_3D/b5/)
If anyone has read the book, seen it before or bothers to watch it I'd love to know what you think as it raises some interesting points.
The basic plot is about what would happen if a working class socialist PM was elected. It clearly illustrates how the ruling class would stop at nothing to hinder any reforms that actually threatened their power including sabotage and an all out coup d'etat. The main character Harry Perkins is a 3rd generation steel worker from Sheffield whose manifesto is heavily influenced by Marxism. Examples of which are nationalization coupled with worker participation schemes to gradually hand over the means of production to the workers, freezing of assets of those trying to take large amounts of money out of the country, dismantling of media monopolies from the hands of a character who could only be based on Rupert Murdoch, withdrawal from NATO and the western alliance (it's set in 1982), nuclear disarmament and investing in renewable energy sources. Those are just a few things that I can remember, whether you would agree with his proposed actions in real life or not it's still interesting to see how the author imagines events would play out. I believe he was meant to be loosely based on Tony Benn however I feel that with his witty one liners and speeches he more closely resembles a British Hugo Chavez.
I actually preferred the TV adaptation to the book because of the alternate ending. which I'm going to hide behind this spoilerThe ending in the book is fairly disappointing basically he is forced to resign his position because of an accident at a nuclear power plant which he had pushed for before he became PM. In the TV version the bourgeoisie attempt to force his resignation by bringing false charges of embezzlement against him. This scene is absolutely fantastic in every way the acting is of the highest quality the dialogue is spot on and the suspense is built in a way which will have you on the edge of your seat. It's also one of the only scenes which is directed well throughout. The music is awful the director seems to like to try unusual camera angles which don't work at all although it is strewn with metaphors some of which work and others don't but in that one penultimate scene he finally gets it right I love the way the bourgeois bastards face is half in the light and half in the dark making one eye blue and one dark which gives him a sinister and monstrous look. I can see a metaphor there as people can always see the bourgeois but cannot always see their evil intentions.
It is very dated and while it may be about a socialist who participates in parliamentary politics written by a Labour MP please don't let that put you off as it ends up making a better argument for why a completely peaceful revolution is pretty much impossible.
It's on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/show/averybritishcoup?pl=7698A3E56FB596D2&ob=showav_n
but members outside of the UK need to use a proxy to watch it. If you don't have one try this http://www.daveproxy.co.uk/browse.php/a1.../TE_3D/b5/ (http://www.daveproxy.co.uk/browse.php/a1bac1e4/180cda14/df7Oi8vd/3d3Lnlvd/XR1YmUuY/29tL3dhd/GNoP3Y9T/FlaZlJrM/HlFbDgma/GFzX3Zlc/mlmaWVkP/TE_3D/b5/)
If anyone has read the book, seen it before or bothers to watch it I'd love to know what you think as it raises some interesting points.