The coal mine in a northern English village may be closing, which would also mean the end of the miners' brass band.The coal mine in a northern English village may be closing, which would also mean the end of the miners' brass band.The coal mine in a northern English village may be closing, which would also mean the end of the miners' brass band.
- Nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards
- 10 wins & 7 nominations total
- Greasley
- (as Ken Colley)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPete Postlethwaite was heavily criticized by ex-miners for claiming he supported the 1984 strike, but believed people should never burn coal. The last remaining coal mines in the UK closed largely as a result of the 2008 Climate Change Act.
- GoofsThe result of the vote for redundancy seems to take place on a Saturday, when the regional final for the brass band is also held. Some miners are shown leaving their shift. Saturday work had been eliminated from the National Coal Board long before the film is set. An announcement as important as a redundancy vote would not have been made on a Saturday.
- Quotes
Danny: This band behind me'll tell you that that trophy means more to me than owt else in the whole world. But they'd be wrong! Truth is, I THOUGHT it mattered. I thought that MUSIC mattered. But does it bollocks? Not compared to how people matter. Us winning this trophy won't mean bugger-all to most people. But us *refusing* it - like what we're going to do now - well, then it becomes news, doesn't it?
[flurry of press camera shutters]
Danny: You see what I mean. That way, I'll not just be talking to myself, will I? Because over the last ten years, this bloody government has systematically destroyed an entire industry. OUR industry. And not just our industry - our communities, our homes, our lives. All in the name of "progress". And for a few lousy bob. I'll tell you something else you might not know, as well. A fortnight ago, this band's pit were closed - another thousand men lost their jobs. And that's not all they lost. Most of them lost the will to win a while ago. A few of them even lost the will to fight. But when it comes to losing the will to live, to breathe, the point is - if this lot were seals or whales, you'd all be up in bloody arms. But they're not, are they, no, no they're not. They're just ordinary common-or-garden honest, decent human beings. And not one of them with an ounce of bloody hope left. Oh aye, they can knock out a bloody good tune. But what the fuck does that matter?
[gasps emotionally, close to tears]
Danny: And now I'm going to take my boys out onto the town. Thank you.
[rapturous applause and standing ovation]
- Crazy creditsOn some prints, the words "The End" remain onscreen as three additional lines of "definitions" are added one by one underneath:
- 1. closure (as in 140 pits since 1984)
- 2. termination (as in 250,000 jobs)
- 3. conclusion (as in draw your own...)
- Alternate versionsThe British release does not have the dictionary definitions at the start or end of the film. These were added to the American release to introduce the US audience to British slang. The end of the film has the same information, but just as normal text.
- SoundtracksDeath Or Glory
Written by Robert Browne Hall (as R. B. Hall)
While I could have done with a bit more romance, there was an excellent story line of working class difficulties to attend to that is similar to downsizing heartbreak here.
Pete Postlethwaite as the band leader/black lunged ex-coal miner was terrific, but so was Stephen Tomlinson as a guy with just everything against him under so many pressures.
Yeah it's a heartwarming story of trying to keep dignity vs. Big Business, it's not a fantasy but upliftingly realistic.
Ewan MacGregor took what could have just been the male ingénue role and was quite intense with it.
Amazingly - there's no child abuse in it, what a relief these days. Everyone here really loves their kids, their jobs, their community, their colliery band. It's just the Tories (and management) they hate.
I just hate to think how hopeless things are for them after the movie ends.
(originally written 6/14/1997)
- noralee
- Dec 18, 2005
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Brassed Off!
- Filming locations
- High Street, Grimethorpe, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, UK('In Cod We Trust' fish and chip shop and Spar supermarket)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,576,331
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $52,534
- May 26, 1997
- Gross worldwide
- $2,589,012
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