by Henry Pham
Two-time Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield is known for his roles in Hacksaw Ridge and Tick, Tick…Boom!. His onscreen appearance has been recognized by many of his fans as the titular superhero in The Amazing Spider-Man (and its sequel) and Spider-Man: No Way Home. The Uprising takes place in England in 1381 and follows the legendary leader, Ploughman, in a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II. As war burns across England, he forms an army of the people to face the King in a brutal fight for justice and survival.
Andrew Garfield leads the cast as Ploughman. His character is depicted as a poor peasant-farmer trying to survive after his family’s death from the deadly plague, and he is here to bring justice and peace to his own people against rich, corrupt humans. Garfield provides a powerful performance, with raw energy, anger, and despair. Supporting actors Jamie Bell (The Adventures of Tintin), Stephen Dillane (HBO’s Game of Thrones), Tom Hollander (Pride & Prejudice), Cosmo Jarvis (A24’s Warfare), Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace), Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting), Woody Norman (C’mon C’mon), and Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts trilogy) add raw energy to the film.
The film is based on the Peasants’ Revolt (also known as the Great Uprising), a major event that happened across England in 1381. It had various causes, including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Black Death in the 1340s. With Jason Blum co-producing, Oscar nominee Paul Greengrass writes, produces, and directs the film. To those who are not familiar with Greengrass, he is known for directing the three Bourne films, United 93 (for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Director), Captain Phillips, and The Lost Bus, the latter of which received an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects.
The story relies on bloody violence and disturbing images. His camera shots are crafty but can be distracting from the camera shakes, his signature speciality in his directing career. The plot looks interesting but isn’t perfect, however. Its pacing can feel uneven, especially in the third act, as he tries to follow the source material, and Garfield’s character appears both a main character and a supporting character. But his flaws don’t overshadow the film’s impact. The costumes, makeup, and references to the Black Death are the highlights of the film, while the score from Oscar winner Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on the Western Front) is superb. The production design is also flawless.
The Uprising is a dark and gritty action movie starring Andrew Garfield. I’m only here because of him, since he is one of the greatest actors in Hollywood. The other cast is full of endurance in their roles. Greengrass showed that action-historical movies could be artful and moody while giving the feel of a film directed by Ridley Scott. I really wanted to like this film, but the darker content and images prevented me from doing so. It is also not suitable for kids, and it runs for 128 minutes. I think only fans and lovers of Andrew Garfield can watch this piece.
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