Culture Clash
It’s Eric Clapton’s fault. And David Bowie’s.
White Riot traces the rise of British racism in the late 1970s. On telly right-wing politician Enoch Powell wants to “physically seize and deport” blacks back to “where they came from” – even those people born in Britain. The National Front wants to “put white people first”. Skinheads bemoan the number of ….. (insert racist words).
Red Saunders, a leftie performer, was increasingly worried by the growth of racism. Then came Clapton. And others. David Bowie told Playboy in 1976 that “I believe very strongly in fascism … Britain is ready for a fascist leader”—really, David Bowie! I’m shook. But what set Red off were Clapton’s comments supporting Enoch Powell.
So Red wrote a letter
“… Come on Eric. You’re rock music’s biggest colonialist. We want to organise a rank and file movement against the racist poison in music. We urge support for Rock Against Racism….”
and sent it to “all the music press” in the UK. Many published it and the response was, to the contemporary viewer, heart-warming. Music fans (young music fans especially) had enough too and so a cultural anti-fascism movement was born.
RAR opened clubs, published a magazine, and hosted a series of festivals, marches and music gigs that featured punk and funk, reggae, rock n roll and ska music. BTW not all skinheads were racist, and the doco highlights that music really can soothe the savage breast(s).
The film has plenty of talking heads and archival film. But what sets White Riot apart is its Monty Python-esque graphics that come largely from the RAR mag Temporary Hoarding. The archival footage is pretty shocking – stories of police harassment, riot police bashing protesters, clips from British tv shows (Love Thy Neighbour, The Black and White Minstrel Show, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum)—it’s a sobering reminder of the times.
Rubika Shah’s exploration of grassroots activism is a great history lesson and a sober reminder that the fight still isn’t over.
Clapton and Bowie, I’m soo disappointed.
White Riot
MA15+
80 minutes
Released 18 March
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