A nation in decline
Empire of Light is set in 1981, at a key point in Britain’s decline, the start of the 80s and the Thatcher decade. The racist National Front and Enoch Powell were political forces to be reckoned with, skinheads patrolled the streets looking for trouble, and conflict between the police and the black community exploded into the Toxteth and Brixton riots.
Racism is at the forefront of Stephen’s (Micheal Ward’s) experience, from rejection by universities to a vicious beating that sees him hospitalised. “Sam doesn’t shy away from tough things,” says Tanya Moodie, who plays Stephen’s mother. “During the rehearsal weeks, we talked about the elements in the script that we could bring into sharper focus, from my experience, and Micheal’s, as an African-Caribbean person.”
Mendes brings an equally clinical lens to Hilary’s collapsing mental health. We see her suffering and mania inscribed on her surroundings, her thoughts literally written on the wall. In Hilary’s abusive relationship with her married boss, played by Firth, Mendes explores the challenges women (both married and unmarried) faced in the 1980s.
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