Written by Ayushi Kumari
Set in the 1920s, just months after the end of World War I, Peaky Blinders is the period drama that follows the Birmingham-based Shelbys and their ever expanding criminal organisation, Peaky Blinders. The series has gained a steady cult following and you can’t help but cheer for Tommy Shelby and his gang even though they break just a few laws! The post war setting provides an in-depth analysis of the lingering trauma and how it looms large over the characters but never truly leaves them.
Apart from operating the bookie business, downing Irish whiskey, and polishing up their knowledge on horses; the Shelbys are dapper gangsters with raw brutality lurking around them. No matter how evil they may seem, the Shelbys will go to any extent to protect their family and when Thomas Shelby whips his razor blade across the face of a gypsy boy who insulted his family, the brutality and coldness in his eyes bleeds through the screen. In this moment, this character makes you lie down and delve deep into the show. After, The Dark Knight Rises and Inception, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy once again come together on the screen offering a visual delight through their respective performances. Not only has the series bagged the award for Best Drama at the NTA 2020 and other prestigious awards, but has more to itself which makes it a must-watch!
So, with all of that said, we have a few reasons as to why you should be watching Peaky Blinders if you haven’t already!
1. CREATIVE GENIUS BEHIND THE SHOW, STEVEN KNIGHT
What gives the show its charm is its intriguing storyline, ingenious screenwriting, and profound directing. Steven Knight is the creative genius behind all of this and his inspiration came from the tales he heard during his childhood from his parents. Peaky Blinders was a real notorious gang back in the day, that consisted of bookmakers and gangsters. The gang, however, became more alive in his imagination and he turned it into an appealing narrative from his own source of myth and poetry. Each of the characters make you love and hate them at the same time. Knight has carefully carved out each character with their own complexities and one cannot help but admire the big, screwed-up, badass family of the Shelbys. The writer also does not fail in making every villain in the consecutive seasons as vindictive as possible.
2. STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS
The women of Peaky Blinders are a force to be reckoned with. Every single lady from Aunt Polly and Ada Shelby, to Lizzie Stark, Gina Gray, Linda Shelby, and of course Grace Burgess do not fail to leave their own mark. Aunt Polly is the matriarch who ran the business when the men were fighting in the war. She has her own moments of defensiveness and self-loathing, but will not take pity from others. Ada brings a freshness to the screen with her energy that aims towards a change after the World War I. Later, in the show she takes up the position of Head of Property and Acquisitions in America. She is Tommy’s confidant of personal struggles.
Grace Burgess, an undercover agent sent to spy on the Shelbys, falls too quickly for Tommy and is torn between her career and her love interest. She does have a tremendous effect on Tommy and does not fail to leave her authoritative mark. Linda is as ruthless as any of the other Shelby along with her power-hungry attitude and does not hesitate in standing up to the leader of the gang for her husband, Arthur. She fights her own battles of doing good and manipulating situations to protect her family. When we first meet Lizzie, she is a prostitute but manages to make her way into the Shelby family and is the loyal one who keeps Tommy grounded with no shame of her past. Gina Gray is strong-willed, unapologetically confident and highly ambitious. However, there’s more to her than meets the eye. These women who walk around in Birmingham in four–inch heels are factful and offer the idea that they are not mere “child-like adornments to be protected”. They portray how incredibly powerful women in the working class are, ruling out all gender stereotypes.
3. INCREDIBLE AESTHETICS
The image and aesthetics are astounding. From colour calibration to the production design, the cinematography is “peaky”. The images perfectly match the backdrop setting of the show and it won’t disappoint you even for a second. In fact, it becomes more grand and glamorous as the show progresses, always keeping up with the historic dark age. The visuals take you back to the industrial-age Birmingham with the characters silhouetted against blasts of molten orange sparks and random explosions and the streets surrounded by smoke and dust from the factories that worked 24 hours a day. Even, the costumes have been designed very precariously with stiff collars, striped shirts, polished shoes, and dapper suits reflecting the importance of appearance for the working class Brits. The male gang members in the show pull off a sleazy haircut and wear big hats concealing a razor blade in their brims to slash off their enemies’ faces. The good-looking characters dressed up in orderly, neat and fashionable manner just makes you fall for the show even more!
4. OLD-SCHOOL ROMANCE
The Byronic hero vibes which Thomas Shelby gives out intensifies when we see him in love with Grace Burgess. This gives the perspective of “classic old-school British romance.” The war left Tommy with a dark undertone rendering him cold and brutal, but through Grace, we get to see who he might have been before France. We see a tender version of him when he dreams of future with her. His dream of a family and a legitimate business enterprise warms our hearts towards a man who has faced death and believes that he is living on borrowed time. Grace almost gambles her career when she genuinely falls for Tommy. The beautiful, melancholic song she sings on Tommy’s demand just leaves our hearts flattered and her death is another trauma that Tommy doesn’t seem to get over with. Grace comes as a solace to his war-damaged heart.
5. THE SOUNTRACK
An equally moody and vintage soundtrack backs the show with every episode opens with the courtesy of Nick Cave and Bad Seeds’ Milton-esque ‘Red Right Hand’ which establishes the musical mood from the beginning and makes the show speak for itself. The song perfectly suits the dark and sinister Thomas Shelby. Besides, the show features music by Arctic Monkeys, The White Stripes, Radiohead, Laura Marling, PJ Harvey, and Tom Waits. In addition to these, there is also Johnny Cash’s cover of an iconic Irish ballad. What is striking about Peaky Blinders’ soundtrack is that all the featured songs indicate towards the theme of the show and you get the hang of it so easily!
These reasons are compelling enough to make you binge-watch the show. With its sinister narrative, finest casting, dialogue mixed with poetry, fine British accents, and obviously Cillian Murphy’s jawline, Peaky Blinders is one of the best shows on air. Also, for all the classic poetry lovers out there like me, there is Christina Rossetti’s one of the most beautiful Christmas carols being narrated time and again (take a wild guess!) which serves as cherry on the cake. No matter how violent, vindictive, and gory it becomes, every second you invest in the show is worth it!
While fans are eagerly waiting for the next season, five seasons of Peaky Blinders is streaming now on Netflix, so go and watch it!
