Ep 104 – Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man – One War Too Many
We wanted to love it. We really did. Watched the first episode of season one, the last episode of season two, and the last episode of season six, exactly as Steven Knight instructed us to do, in preparation for this film. Did the homework. Still hated it.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is a film that takes a great anti-hero, sets him loose in the Second World War, with Nazis, counterfeit bank notes, and the Birmingham Blitz as a backdrop, yet somehow manages to make all of it feel like an afterthought.
The real historical operation at the centre of the plot is Operation Bernhard, the Nazi scheme to flood Britain with forged banknotes. The Birmingham Blitz killed over 2,000 people. John Beckett, the real fascist villain the film borrows, has an interesting biography. They had plenty to go on... and yet.
We also spend time on what the show always did well, and where this film just falls short: the moral ambiguity, you know, the gray, murky stuff, the female characters with purpose, the Birmingham that felt like a character. We talk about Ada. We talk about the music. We talk about Barry Keoghan and Stephen Graham being criminally underused.
If you’re a Peaky Blinders fan feeling a little disappointed, this one’s for you. And if you’ve never seen the show, skip the film. You won’t miss it.
Listen to the episode here or visit our website for more WWII background info.
