Birth of a Nation

It's safe to say that television nowadays is nowhere near as daring as it used to be. ITV would sooner be making the next series of Love Island than taking a chance on something more controversial, boundary-pushing or discussion-provoking akin to the likes of David Leland's Birth of a Nation. Masterfully directed by Mike Newell, many scenes feel as if they were lifted from a slice-of-life documentary about an average day at a British comprehensive school circa 1982. As students arrive on the first day of a new term the film flirts between classes and academic offices, briefly pausing to observe the activity unfolding there before moving on to the next. Gradually scenes lengthen and characters are established and what starts as an observational documentary develops seamlessly into a study of an outmoded educational model that has refused to adapt to changing times; a battleground in which the struggling educators are driven by a singular purpose, to drum the set syllabus and the importance of qualifications into their students, irrespective of their interest or desire to learn. David Leland's writing is absolutely gripping, you can drop in at any point and become hooked in a few seconds based on the dialogue and performances alone with a young Jim Broadbent being the scene stealer, shining as a thoughtful critique of an inflexible and outmoded educational system straining at the seams. Shining a spotlight on teachers who go above and beyond to connect with their students and ignite a passion for learning, irrespective of divides, both blackly comic and acutely observed, Birth of a Nation is utterly superb television.