I knew little of Oswald Mosley before watching this drama, other than he headed the British Union of Fascists and therefore must be an awful man - after all there's a good reason why fascism doesn't last long in civilised societies.
However, the drama paints Mosley in a very flattering light:
So far so good. I was even nodding at some of his economic growth ideas and admiring his oratory skills. I found myself wondering where is this evil racist that everyone despises? Even his philandering/bed hopping and associating with the Italian fascists and German Nazis didn't make him to be that bad - after all he had openly stated he was not anti Semitic and no harm would come to the Jews.
Then all of a sudden in the last 20 minutes he turns into a foaming at the mouth racist condemning the Jews - all because of a brief debate with Joyce. And even then it was almost like he was forced into it because of political ambition.
And that is why I question this drama's bias. Was it written to present the truth about Mosley or as an attempt to persuade people that he was a poor maligned and misunderstood man who wanted nothing but good for his country?
Whatever its purpose it has resulted in my researching him myself to make up my own mind. Which is no bad thing for a drama, provided people do not take it as gospel.
However, the drama paints Mosley in a very flattering light:
- a war veteran with desires to prevent another Great War where those safe in war rooms plot the deaths of so many men.
- a man who can see that for Britain to succeed it needs to remove itself from the grips of the old men who had taken her to where she was (a failing empire).
- a man not tied to a political party regardless of policy, but willing to change allegiances to achieve the ultimate aim of a Great(er) Britain
So far so good. I was even nodding at some of his economic growth ideas and admiring his oratory skills. I found myself wondering where is this evil racist that everyone despises? Even his philandering/bed hopping and associating with the Italian fascists and German Nazis didn't make him to be that bad - after all he had openly stated he was not anti Semitic and no harm would come to the Jews.
Then all of a sudden in the last 20 minutes he turns into a foaming at the mouth racist condemning the Jews - all because of a brief debate with Joyce. And even then it was almost like he was forced into it because of political ambition.
And that is why I question this drama's bias. Was it written to present the truth about Mosley or as an attempt to persuade people that he was a poor maligned and misunderstood man who wanted nothing but good for his country?
Whatever its purpose it has resulted in my researching him myself to make up my own mind. Which is no bad thing for a drama, provided people do not take it as gospel.