As a student of film (and by that I include film fans in general) you will be aware, even if you haven't seen, of what is referred to as the "Mick Travis Trilogy", three films following the state of Britiain in the late sixties, early seventies and early eighties. The three films are
If...
O Lucky Man!
Brittania Hospital
Now of these three, two enter the realm of science fiction, dealing with issues of genetic tinkering and Moreau like transplant surgery. Sure, the SF content is light, but it legitimizes my discussion of the films here.
The common elements between the three films are director Lyndsay Anderson, writer David Sherwin, Actor Malcolm McDowell and thematic elements showing Britain undergoing its major post war/post rationing social changes from the overturn of the old ways in the late 60's to the run up to Thatchers Britain of the 80's.
"If..."
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"If..." is the high point of the trilogy. The Mick Travis we are living with is a rebellious youth in a staid and stolid British boarding school (c.f. "public schools" UK defn.). These bastions of the British empire were factories turning out our government, military leaders and clerical leaders. Traditions of several hundred years held place despite the changes of the nation (also lampooned in the Harry Potter series when Dudley gets his Knickerbockers for his public school uniform).
Travis is definitely part of the counter culture, not falling into the fagging system, and despises the head boys, cleric, OTC leader and most every normal person. Throughout the utter properness, mired in protocol and principle, of being British is brought into question. We are shown, in microcosm the overthrow of the old order, with hints of it indefatigable endurance.
"O Lucky Man"
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The second chapter "O Lucky Man" picks up with a different interpretation of Travis as the protagonist. This one is almost as young and naive, but seems to be more of working class stock and state school educated. We pick up with him as a trainee travelling sales man, actually a factory rep, for a coffee company.
Through a series of black comic misadventures we follow him as he faces the epoch where Britain ceased to be a manufacturing nation, to become a services nation. Our wealth was no longer in steel, coal, textiles or any of the classic industry, but remained strong in research and finance.
We are exposed to the ruthlessness of capitalism, where emerging nation states were preyed upon both by their leaders as well as the worlds industrialists.
We also encounter the cold war and nuclear ages in an unsettling sequence satirizing the emergency powers act and anti terrorism acts. This same sequence, in a pre-Chernobyl europe, shows our rash embrace of technology, questioning our ability.
We also encounter Dr Millar for the first time, a meat ball surgeon who is looking to adapt mankind so that off world habitation may offset our overpopulation issue. Millar's character was revised for Brittania Hospital.
Overall "O Lucky Man" is a great, fun and worthwhile film, and only falls short if you have seen the power of "If..." first.
"Brittania Hospital"
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What was it about the 80's? Maybe everything had been done, and so we had to reinvent ourselves in a more anarchic style. Look at the TV of the time, Comic Strip Presents, The Young One, etc. TV adopted an almost "punk" facade of anti establishment. Even the artistic TV content shifted from the pointed socially aware plays like "Play for Today", and moved into high speed with films from directors like Peter Greenaway, and more biting social dramas like Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, My Beautiful Launderette, new social taboos were explored.
Britannia Hospital has many farcical elements. It has taken our social frustration and heightened it, with increased terrorist activity, strikes and riots. Using a 500 year old hospital to represent Britain in microcosm, we see the social angst as the unions and Thatcher start the final battle for how British industry will be.
Dr Millar returns as a more egotistical and malevolent form of himself. Though a large part of his role seems to be showing how there are two facets of the documentary media, he also seems to be an analogy for the final reinventing of the UK as a bastion for wealth, sloans and yuppies followed by privatization of most nationalized industries turning almost everyone nationwide into speculators and investors (c.f. privatization of The GPO telecommunications division "British Telecom").
This film covers the same territory as Billy Elliot, but in a far less comfortable fashion.
I am only watched Britannia Hosp. to complete the trilogy. Not seeing it does not detract from the other two. I don't want to discourage you from seeing it, it is a different way of story telling, but on the whole the film is not satisfying. Yes, it has it's moments, but overall no.
