“The Bad Patriots”, also known as “Loach vs Corbyn: The Bad Patriots”, puts two left icons of the UK up on a soundstage as they share a conversation with Brazilian-British filmmaker Victor Fraga. Fraga, who you may know from “The Coup D’etat Factory” (2021), a scathing look at Brazil’s mainstream media and its blatant manipulation, does not pit the two greats against each other. I mean, this is not a debate like the title of the documentary would like you to believe. It is, however, an interesting structure of having these two heavyweights offering their two cents on media biases while a satirical voiceover plays over it – almost like one of those commentary tracks you hear as a fight goes on in a ring.
For those unaware, the guest in question, Jeremy Corbyn, is one of the key figures in UK politics. He served as the leader of the Labour Party and the opposition from 2015 to 2020 and was often vilified for his pro-left, anti-war views. Ken Loach, on the other hand, is a veteran English filmmaker (now retired) who is widely known for his socialist point of view and stories that often focus on the plight of the working class. The 2-time Palm d’Or winner has been similarly criticised for making “poisonous films,” which set out to dismantle the fabric of British society at large.
In the time of distorted realities that are often served to us in the name of news, it’s refreshing to see these long-standing friends giving their wisely realized opinions about the media, the reasons for their biases (despite some of them being against the tide of propaganda), and how they are often used for smear campaign and hand-twisting those who don’t follow the chain of commands.
The initial part of the documentary sees Corbyn discussing how the media has often portrayed him. Two hilarious incidents that he narrates recount how he was called a ‘terrorist sympathizer’ in the 1980s and a being a Cezch spy for merely talking to a foreign national for 15 odd minutes. Since Fraga is also aware of how Corbyn was often compared with Brazilian politcians Lulu, the filmmaker, also tries to connect the dots of how the issues that persist in the British media are also one that permeates to Brazil, and possibly everywhere else as well.
It is interesting to see “The Bad Patriots” as a testament to how the otherisation of ideas that do not go with the norms has allowed key pieces of information on how to actualize a situation from coming to the surface. Both Loach and Corbyn make intriguing points about how it is impossible to be a socialist or a realist because no one wants to tell or even know the truth.
Loach points out the progressive nature of British media, more specifically the BBC and The Guardian, and how, unlike other countries that have media biases, Britain can at least have a contradictory opinion in place. However, he also specifically points out how even these ‘supposedly’ progressive outlets are run on the capitalist structures, and it wouldn’t take them time to slip away from the fact if and when the news that they are putting out does not serve their audience anymore.
Speaking of the documentary itself, I feel that beyond the structure of a boxing match, the film does not offer anything particularly intriguing that accentuates the points made by these fine men. For instance, Farga uses clips from Loach’s films – “The Wind that Shakes the Barley“, “Sorry We Missed You“, and “I, Daniel Blake” feature intermittently, but I fail to see them making any grander point, or being inserted to double down on some idea that Loach or Corbyn laid down. After a point in time, the satirical narration also starts feeling cringeworthy and does not offer the same impact that it is intended to.
Towards the end of “The Bad Patriots,” we head towards the allegations of anti-semetism that Corbyn has faced. However, much like one of the aspects of the film where the need for proper explanation of all things is needed, the rushed nature of key points of concern does not allow for a deeper introspection once you are done with the film. The result is a documentary that is only able to reason out why a balanced world without biases is what we need right now.
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