I have recently started watching Peaky Blinders and I find the show quite interesting. I like the gritty nature of the show but what interests me the most is the language. There's a kind of poetry to how the characters speak. The scriptwriters did a good job there.
Another area I found really interesting was the fact that there are no black and whites, just greys like real life. I find stories where the protagonist and antagonist are either morally black or white boring and unreal. I want to see people make choices and deal with the consequences and Cillian Murphy is really good in the show. The way he navigates his family, his business, his relationships is so real.
My favourite characters in the show are Polly, Tommy and Arthur. I don't like Campbell much. He is not nice no matter he is on the side of the law.
I think a theme worth considering in the show is the descent into madness. Arthur is a clear example but there also other men in the series who are going through traumatic experiences. Tommy smokes a drug at night to help him sleep. Arthur takes drinking and drug use personal. It is there, the fear of growing crazy. It is why I find them to be strong. They are struggling inspite of the damage the war had carved in their minds.
The characters are not good people but they are trying and its hard. I am presently on season 2 and I am assuredly enjoying myself. I am curious however to see what will happen to Polly's son, Michael who has left a middle class and peaceful life for the criminal enterprise of his mother and her family as well as Adam who seeks to distance herself from said family but needs them. These relationships interest me in their complexities. Family is always complicated.
📸: IMDB