Director Paul Greengrass has returned with yet another action thriller in The Uprising, a telling of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 against King Richard II that also aims to serve as an origin story of the legend of Robin Hood. Fortunately, this period piece is far more interested in telling a thrilling tale of rebellion than ushering anyone into the iconic green hood.
The Uprising takes place in 14th Century England and centers on a man named The Ploughman (Andrew Garfield) who ignites a rebellion against the insidious King Richard II (Woody Norman) in a fight for justice against his tyranny. In his fight against the king, he is joined by fellow fighters John Ball (Jamie Bell), Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis) and Alyce (Thomasin Mckenzie).
Greengrass has certainly left his imprint on the action genre with his myriad of entries like the Jason Bourne films to Captain Phillips, but he isn’t exactly known for his period piece work, the idea of him diving head first into tackling one is an exciting proposition, especially since this has been a long-gestating passion project for the director. Fortunately, his sensibilities largely make him an ideal fit for the material, delivering a period piece that offers plenty of thrilling entertainment, even if it’s unfortunately emotionally stunted.
The film wastes next to no time establishing the stakes and a steady, brisk rhythm that keeps it light on its feet and barreling toward its central rebellion. The action set pieces are unsurprisingly immersive, Greengrass’ signature handheld visual aesthetic lending exceedingly well to the material, ensuring that the audience feels as if they’re in the mud and grime with these fighters as they take on the king and his bevy of well-trained men. Even more impressive is Greengrass’ staging of these sequences that allows them to look and feel suitably massive, leaning far more on wonderfully old fashioned practical effects and filmmaking techniques to make these battles as visceral and enveloping as possible. The sense of geography is impressive during these sequences, the director never allowing the audience to lose sight of the action and more importantly the core characters within them.
The performances are also a notable highlight of the film. Garfield has proven to be a reliably versatile performer over the past decade, vacillating between genres with deft precision and grace, tackling a wide array of characters that either embrace the light and soak it in or let the darkness swallow them whole. The Ploughman may not give him the juiciest material to chew on, but he’s able to wring every bit of pathos out of the material he’s given. Garfield is thunderously good here, wearing the weight of this man’s loss in his eyes and posture while also conveying the bubbling anger that lurks just beneath the surface, an anger that makes him impossible to look away from once the rebellion fully takes shape. Simply put, Garfield has delivered yet another fine, nuanced performance that continues to prove he’s one of the best actors of his generation.
The supporting performances are also terrific across the board. Bell and Jarvis are both delivering fiery, passionate work as their respective characters, like Garfield making the most out of the lackluster material they’re given to work with. Some of the film’s finest scenes involve the two of them sharing the screen with Garfield, their conflicting views on how to carry out the rebellion and differing ideologies making for some of the film’s most intriguing material. McKenzie is also superb as Alyce, one of the core members of the resistance, her past trauma and grief mirroring that of Garfield’s Ploughman in ways that make her one of the film’s most fascinating characters. Her and Garfield are aces when they’re sharing the screen together, the two of them wearing their magnetic vulnerability on their dirty sleeves as they begin to find common ground amongst the growing chaos.
However, as thrilling and entertaining as the film may be, its breakneck pace comes at its severe detriment, not allowing for much time to breathe and more importantly flesh out its core characters. The audience learns next to nothing about these characters, the talented cast having to elevate the subpar material with a herculean strength in order to ensure the characters don’t come across as fully two-dimensional. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the lack of depth in regards to their characters fails to give the film its much needed emotional heft in order to become the emotionally engaging epic it’s clearly aspiring to be. Some of the film’s other supporting players, including Norman, Waterston, Tom Hollander and Jonny Lee Miller are left stranded with very little to do other than look brooding or mischievous on camera, resulting in a disappointing waste of their respective talents.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
The Uprising continues to prove that Greengrass is an extremely talented action filmmaker regardless of genre or setting, delivering a handsomely made period piece that offers plenty of thrills and high octane entertainment for fans of the revered genre. Despite what the marketing may be trying to convince audiences to believe, those looking for a true origin story of Robin Hood should check their expectations at the door. As fiery and passionate as the film can be in its finest moments, the emotional punch of this compelling story is never truly felt. This period piece has good form and shoots a sharp arrow, but it never is able to hit the bullseye.
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