Andrew Garfield on The Uprising, society and Spider-Man, as the film opens in UK cinemas
Ahead of The Uprising's UK release on 9 October, Andrew Garfield told Digital Spy he is "very, very concerned" about society, while a historian argues the film departs from the record of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 1The Uprising, a period drama written and directed by Paul Greengrass, is released in UK cinemas on 9 October and dramatises the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Digital SpyN “The Uprising is released in UK cinemas on 9 October.”“The period drama dramatises the events of the Peasants' Revolt from 1381” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Centre · 1Andrew Garfield plays a ploughman who joins John Ball (Jamie Bell) and Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis) in rebelling against the establishment. Digital SpyN “Garfield playing a ploughman who joins John Ball (Jamie Bell) and Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis) in rebelling against the establishment” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Centre · 1Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Garfield said the 1381 setting "feels like a long-distance mirror to our near tomorrow" and that he feels "very, very concerned, like I think most of us do, about where we are as a society". Digital SpyN “"Sure, it's 1381, but it feels like a long-distance mirror to our near tomorrow. I feel very, very concerned, like I think most of us do, about where we are as a society,"” Read at Digital Spy ↗
Centre · 1He pointed to people "hoarding power" and "controlling who gets to have a good life and who doesn't", saying "There's a different kind of oppression happening, but it's still oppression nonetheless." Digital SpyN “There's a different kind of oppression happening, but it's still oppression nonetheless. So I feel very passionate about this story.” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Centre · 1Garfield said he had long wanted to work with Greengrass, calling the film "very personal and deeply emotional" for both of them, and likened the director to "a great football captain" who is "very encouraging, loving and kind" while asking for difficult and intense work. Digital SpyN “I found the way he worked to be like a great football captain.” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Digital SpyN “The film marks the first collaboration between the pair” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Centre · 1In a second Digital Spy interview, Garfield admitted he has not yet seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which came out in cinemas in July; he said he has been promoting and travelling, and wants to see it on a cinema screen rather than at home. Digital SpyN “"I don't want to watch it on my TV, I want to watch it in the cinema, so I'm just waiting for that window. I will do it. I'm so excited to do it,"”“the Marvel project (which dropped in cinemas in July)” Read at Digital Spy ↗
Centre · 1He also looked back fondly on reprising Peter Parker alongside Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, saying he felt he "needed to tie it up". Digital SpyN “I think I needed to tie it up, I felt like it was a little undone, so I was very happy,” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Left · 1Separately, Adrian R Bell, a University of Reading historian writing in The Conversation, says the film does not faithfully depict the revolt: it omits events such as the destruction of the Savoy Palace and invents others, notably the slaughter of rebels after Wat Tyler's assassination at Smithfield. The ConversationLC “However, The Uprising doesn’t faithfully depict the revolt. Some spectacular events, such as the destruction of the Savoy Palace in London, are omitted.” Read at The Conversation ↗ Left · 1Bell, drawing on the People of 1381 database, argues the rebels were not all the poorest: gentry and former officials took part, and the revolt spread across more than half of England's counties rather than centring on London and the home counties. The ConversationLC “The uprising was a revolt of all classes below the level of the aristocracy. That is why it was so dangerous.”“we know that the revolt involved insurgencies in over half the counties in England.” Read at The Conversation ↗
Left · 1He also says the film's portrayal of tax collection differs from the evidence, which shows community efforts to share the burden fairly rather than mass evasion, and that John Ball fled to Coventry and was captured there rather than making a last stand at Smithfield. The ConversationLC “There was no mass evasion of the tax and royal officials did not terrorise villagers.”“Far from making a last stand at Smithfield, he fled to Coventry during the revolt, where he was captured and afterwards executed.” Read at The Conversation ↗ Left · 1Bell acknowledges that, like many films, it carries a moral undertone applicable to current society, noting that its final scene echoes the modern No Kings protests in the US. The ConversationLC “The final scene, for example, echoes sentiments of the modern No Kings protests in the US.” Read at The Conversation ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Academic explainer using the film as a hook to compare its portrayal with historical research on the 1381 revolt.
- Emphasis
- Rebels' varied class backgrounds, geographic spread, invented incidents and omissions, from the People of 1381 database.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not cover Garfield's own comments or the film's production; mentions Garfield only as the cast member playing the ploughman.
- Charged language
- “doesn’t faithfully depict the revolt”
- For example
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“By tracing the backgrounds of hundreds of insurgents, our People of 1381 database reveals a network of people and places far more complex than the movie suggests.” — The Conversation
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Promotional exclusive interviews with Garfield: one on the film's themes and Greengrass, one on Spider-Man.
- Emphasis
- Garfield's quotes on societal concern, oppression and working with Greengrass, plus a lighter Spider-Man angle.
- Leaves out or plays down
- No assessment of the film's historical accuracy or reviews beyond a link to first reviews.
- Charged language
- “very, very concerned”
- For example
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“I feel very, very concerned, like I think most of us do, about where we are as a society,” — Digital Spy
“Now everyone's going to be angry.” — Digital Spy
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- The Uprising is a Paul Greengrass film about the 1381 Peasants' Revolt, with Andrew Garfield as a ploughman, Jamie Bell as John Ball and Cosmo Jarvis as Wat Tyler.
- The film opens in UK cinemas on 9 October.
- Both outlets link the film's story to present-day concerns.
Where accounts differ
-
How closely the film reflects the 1381 revolt
- Left
- The Conversation's historian says the film departs from the record, omitting events, inventing others and showing the rebels as poorer and more London-focused than the evidence suggests.
- Centre
- Digital Spy relays Garfield's view that the story is a "long-distance mirror" to today and does not assess historical accuracy.
Andrew Garfield person
Says the film reflects current times, that he is deeply concerned about society and power, and that he feels passionate about the story; also says he will watch Spider-Man: Brand New Day in a cinema.
“As actors, storytellers and artists right now, we're looking to reflect our current times.” — Digital Spy
“I will do it. I'm so excited to do it,” — Digital Spy
Paul Greengrass person
Described by Garfield as a documentary-style director who places the audience in the action; the film is personal and emotional for him.
“He's looking to place the audience in a documentary-style environment where you feel like you're in the action with these characters.” — Digital Spy
Left1 article
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Critical Historian's fact-check of the film against records of the 1381 revolt, while acknowledging its modern resonance.
Centre2 articles
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Exclusive: Andrew Garfield feels "very, very concerned" about "where we are as a society"
Sympathetic Promotional interview presenting Garfield's concerns about society as the film's contemporary relevance.
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Exclusive: Andrew Garfield admits he still hasn't seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Neutral Light interview piece about Garfield not having seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day, alongside film promotion.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 5 Oct 17:51 First Digital SpyN Exclusive: Andrew Garfield feels "very, very concerned" about "where we are as a society"
- 7 Oct 17:24 +47h 33m Digital SpyN Exclusive: Andrew Garfield admits he still hasn't seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day
- 8 Oct 10:59 +65h 8m The ConversationLC Andrew Garfield plays a ploughman in The Uprising – but the real medieval rebels weren’t all peasants
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.