Brassed Off at 30: director reflects on the film's surprise success
Writer Mark Herman looks back on the 30th anniversary of Brassed Off, the film that became an unexpected hit and one of PM Andy Burnham's favourites. A special event at the Royal Albert Hall will mark the milestone.
Thirty years after its release, Brassed Off, the 1996 film about a colliery brass band, continues to resonate with British audiences, according to its writer Mark Herman.
Herman admits he never expected the film's success. "I thought it might be popular within a 10 mile radius of Barnsley for about two weeks," he recalls with a laugh. Instead, the film went on to rank 85th in the BFI's list of Top 100 British Films and inspired a popular stage adaptation.
Set in the fictional South Yorkshire town of Grimley a decade after miners fought to save their livelihoods during the Conservative government's dismantling of the mining industry, the film follows the Grimley Colliery Band as they await a decision on whether their pit will close. It stars Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald and Ewan McGregor.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently named Brassed Off as one of his four favourite films, a tribute Herman says he found flattering.
Herman believes the film's lasting appeal lies in its universal theme of people being downtrodden, which still resonates with younger generations discovering it today. However, he is pessimistic about the current state of the British film industry, saying mid-budget films like Brassed Off would likely struggle to get made now, as studios have become less willing to take risks.
To mark the 30th anniversary, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band — the real-life ensemble that inspired the film — will perform at the actual Royal Albert Hall alongside a special screening of the movie.
