The multi-part crime drama "Peaky Blinders" is a series that has gathered many enthusiastic fans. Up to two and a half million viewers were begged from television screens. The premiere of the first series of the project took place in 2013.
The creators of the television series were not originally planned for lengthy filming. The project was conceived for a maximum of three seasons. However, the BBC channel, broadcasting the TV drama, was offered a contract to extend the leprosy.
Popular project
According to many historians, it was the "peaks" and similar groupings that became the founders of modern subcultures. They had their own style of behavior, dress, ideas of honor. They were not like ordinary criminals, since they behaved like intelligent gentlemen.
In the center of the plot - the life of the criminal gang "Peaky Blinders" operating at the turn of the new era in British Birmingham. The formation got its name because of the sharp blades sewn into the caps of the participants. They have gained fame as a very formidable weapon. According to a more prosaic interpretation, the name of the group is caused by the style of clothing included in it. Peaked caps were all the rage at the time.
The group is made up of siblings. The main character, Thomas, played by the blue-eyed Irishman Cillian Murphy, advocates for the legalization of the business. He starts his own business with betting and counterfeiting alcohol to expand the family business. The image of Tom Shelby created in the telesag owes its expressiveness to Cillian Murphy, an artist, musician and singer.
The gangster turned out to be courageous, charming and vulnerable. The image turned out to be very unusual for the performer. The artist had to both mentally and physically get used to the hero. Even the character's haircut freaked out Murphy. The Shelby family, well-known throughout the city, keeps all competitors and even allies in constant fear.
The action is based on real events. A group known for such acts operated in England at the end of the nineteenth century. In the original, the name sounds like "Sharpened caps". The multi-part picture is filled with the spirit of the era of the beginning of the last century. The atmosphere of the film is gloomy, complemented by gray tones and depressing cinema effects.
Almost all the action is a showdown. Sometimes the audience's attention is stopped by famous people of the last century, for example, Churchill or Chaplin. Against the background of the main storyline, the confrontation between the Republican Army of Ireland and the state power develops. When creating the project, all the little things were taken into account, without which it is impossible to convey the entourage of the era. This is what makes this crime drama remarkable for connoisseurs.
main characters
Even the music director Stephen Knight picked up in the style of the time, but original. He did not play the songs popular in those years, but recorded the soundtrack performed by David Bowie. The flask of the era is also conveyed in the trailer for the film. Popular contemporary artists played the main roles for him.
The start of the TV project took place in 2013 on the BBC channel. The actors made their characters colorful. Archival materials were published before the premiere. For them, all the main characters had prototypes. The appearance and activity of gangs was provoked by the First World War. With its completion, the cities were in decline. At the beginning of the last century, the construction of military plants began. This made weapons more accessible to gangsters.
The scene of the abduction of a batch of weapons and the picture opens. The founders of the gang, the Shelby brothers, barely returned from the war. They immediately took over the family business from Aunt Polly. At first glance, it seems that the elder brother, Arthur, is running the business. However, in reality, all activity is concentrated in the hands of the middle one, Thomas. His task is to put the case on a legal track.
The situation is aggravated with the coming to power of a new chief of police. Under the guise of a bartender, his agent settled down in a pub favored by the male part of the criminal family. There are a lot of people in the gang. The hosts were the Shelby family, four brothers and sisters.
The hero of the actor Paul Anderson, Arthur's older brother, has a very hot-tempered character. The middle one, Thomas, surpasses him in many ways. Therefore, in fact, the board passed into his hands. The actor who played the role gained fame after participating in the films "The Beginning" and "The Dark Knight: The Legend Rises."
The outlook on life for the entire family changed radically after the war. They have long forgotten about ordinary human joys. Thomas's life changes with the appearance of Grace, the barmaid. The charming Irish woman is actually a police agent, but those around her do not need to know about it.
Heroines of the picture
The casting is perfect for the first season. From the first moment it is clear that they are all a real family, although they are engaged in illegal matters. The younger ones, Finn and John, were played by Joe Cole with Alfie Evans. British artist Sophie Rundle (Great Expectations) played the role of Ada Shelby, the sister of gangsters. She is gradually moving away from the family.
The woman, together with her son, decides to settle away from Birmingham for a secluded lifestyle. She does not at all like family ideology and the established order. Aunt Polly Gray, godmother of the Shelby brothers, is worth a separate mention. Behind their backs, she stands as a real guard, supporting the family in everything.
The brave woman and her son managed to return to her. However, an open question in the new season remains the question of the desire for the same child to repeat the fate of the nephews. The screen unfolds Polly's personal life, possible love. This moment deserves a separate line. The character was brilliantly portrayed by the popular English actress Helen McCrory.
She is remembered as Narcissa Malfoy from the Harry Potter saga. The actress is a Laureate Olivier and BAFTA laureate. She gained popularity by performing the main characters in Shakespeare's theatrical productions. She played Casanova's mother in Casanova, Anna Radcliffe in Jane Austen.
Grace Burgess, the sweetheart of Tom Shelby, was played by Annabelle Wallis. The audience remembered her for the image of Jane Seymour in the TV series "The Tudors". The actress tries to appear in independent projects, but does not reject invitations from famous directors.
Heroes and their antagonists
The rating of the project has increased markedly with the appearance in the second season of Tom Hardy. A bright and colorful character, Alfie Solomons, as interpreted by a Hollywood celebrity, is the London leader of Jewish gangsters. The gloomy and slightly strange big man has a cruel disposition and a bad reputation.
The charismatic hero makes Tom Shelby a tempting offer. Every shot of Hardy, best known for his role as Handsome Bob in Rock 'n' Roller, and Edward in Dunkirk, lends charm to the series.
Another authority in the twenties was Noah Taylor. He got the role of Darby Sabini. The elegant leader of the Italian mafia existed in reality. The performer is familiar to the audience as Lord Locke from Game of Thrones.
Inspector Chester Campbell, Shelby's antagonist, is portrayed by actor Sam Neill. The struggle for power and order in the city became the basis of the confrontation between the heroes. At the same time, both are passionate about Grace Burgess. The inspector is not afraid of prohibited methods. Therefore, all conflicts at Shelby are unpredictable.
For his work, Sam Neill was nominated for the Golden Globe three times and became its owner. For his performance in the TV series "The Great Marilyn", he was awarded two "Emmy". In Jurassic Park, the actor played Dr. Alan Grant.
The younger Shelby, John, was performed by Joe Cole. His hero has to obey his brothers. For him, their authority is important, but he often makes his own, often hasty decisions. The younger brother of the performer had a chance to visit reality. In her family, she became the fourth child. The artist is known for his work in "Skins" and "Purely English Murder". In The Long Fall, he played Chez.
Senior Shelby
The elder Shelby, Arthur, was Paul Anderson. Logically, it was he who should have become the main one. But Arthur was unable to survive the horrors of war. Tormented by her nightmares, he went into depression.
The family business gains nothing from the character's harsh temper and excessive temper. Anderson starred in Sherlock Holmes: A Play of Shadows as Sebastian Moran, The Survivor, where he played Anderson, and Legend, for which he became Albert.
Since November 2014, it became known about the extension of the series. Filming began in October 2015. New heroes have appeared in the new season. As before, the Shelby family remained the central characters.
In the pilot episode, the audience had to think about who Thomas decided to marry. The actor in an interview only intensified the intrigue, talking about his excitement in anticipation of the continuation of the work. He called the new season the brightest in the entire saga.
The roles of refugees were played by Dina Korzun with Jan Beyvut. Tom Hardy did not leave the project either.
