Blinded by the Light (2019)

• Year: 2019
• Released: 16 Aug 2019
• Country: United Kingdom, United States, France
• Adwords: 2 wins & 8 nominations
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8266310/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blinded_by_the_light
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/blinded-by-the-light
• Available in: 720p, 1080p, 720p
• Language: English, Urdu
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
• Runtime: 118 min
• Writer: Sarfraz Manzoor, Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges
• Director: Gurinder Chadha
• Cast: Billy Barratt, Ronak Singh Chadha Berges, Viveik Kalra
• Keywords: woman director, based on true story, based on a true story, coming of age, 1980s,

	6.9/10
	71/100
	88% – Critics
	91% – Audience

Blinded by the Light Storyline

1987. Sixteen year old Pakistani-British Javed Khan, who has just started sixth form college as what he sees as his only “way out”, hates most everything about his life in Luton to where his parents long ago emigrated from Pakistan for a better life, the hills above the highway where he and his longtime best friend, Caucasian Matt, have spent much time in it representing life away from town. He hates how Thatcherism has decimated the livelihood of the working class, to which his family belongs. He hates how his traditional father regulates everything in his life, including which classes he takes, how he spends his social time, that he is to hand over any money he earns for the family as a collective – more so now for his oldest “sister” (really his cousin) Yasmeen’s upcoming lavish wedding – that he will arrange for a wife for him when the time comes, and that everything is in the goal of him working in a white collar “suit wearing” profession in Luton when he reaches adulthood. He hates the overt racism – some of it anti-immigrant in general, but much of it anti-Muslim or anti-Pakistani directed – in town, not all of it hurled solely from skinheads. He hates how his father and his other Pakistani friends and relatives turn their heads to that racism to maintain a sense of decorum in not wanting to rock the boat. And he hates that his father increases even more pressure on the family as a whole to pick up the slack when he, after sixteen years, is laid off from his automotive factory assembly line job. Javed’s one sanctuary is writing poetry – “crap” in his own estimation – about how he feels about his life in general. Javed’s life takes slight turns when his English teacher Miss Clay – English which his father doesn’t even know is one of his courses – encourages him to continue writing as being “his” outlet to express himself, crap or not, and when one of his few other South Asian classmates, Roops, introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen, considered largely by his peers the music of their parents. Javed feels Springsteen is talking directly to him in in the lyrics relating to his own life. While Matt always vows to find him a girlfriend, Javed, in his increasing confidence through Springsteen, gets up the nerve to approach classmate Eliza, a political activist who he has longed for from afar upon first sight. The question then becomes if Javed, who is beginning to find his own voice in that connection to Springsteen, can reconcile this newfound “freedom” against the other aspects of his life, especially the control wielded by his father.

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Blinded by the Light Movie Reviews

Don’t be fooled, this film is far more about the story than the music

I have to confess I am a big Springsteen fan and I really enjoyed the soundtrack to this film but unlike other recent movies, the soundtrack is just that, rather than being the core of the film.

This is a great little British movie based on a true story about a British boy with Pakistani parents trying to overcome racism and strict parentage in Luton in the 80s. It is very real but also very funny.

I found it a bit of a slow burner but it really took off and a film I will be watching again.

And of course, everything is a better with Springsteen!

coming-of-age

In 1987, Javed Khan and his Pakistani Muslim immigrant family move to Luton in Thatcher’s England. Javed has a demanding and controlling father in the traditional family but he has more passion in writing which is nurtured by English teacher Ms. Clay (Hayley Atwell). He is introduced to the music of Bruce Springsteen by Sikh student Roops. Soon, he’s using the music as inspiration for his life.

At its core, this is a traditional coming-of-age story. Indeed, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha has dealt with much of this subject matter as far back as Bend It Like Beckham. Its standard story is both a curse and a blessing. It’s done well enough and it’s mostly done in a charming fashion. The underlying racism adds the flavor although I would prefer a more obvious victory to wrap up that part. After the graffiti, I would have liked the white neighbors to come and clean it up. The old WWII vet has already provided some of momentum. Maybe Eliza’s parents can grow in character to represent a victory of sorts. The other underlying theme is Bruce Springsteen. At least, it’s not a movie of one artist. The soundtrack here has plenty of other 80’s music. The question is incorporating his music seamlessly into the story. Sometimes, his music overwhelms the story. For his fans, there could never be too much. It needs to consider his fair weather fans and play only his hits from that era. It could use less and achieve more.

They bring you up to do like your daddy done

Based on the semi autobiographical by journalist Sarfraz Manzoor. Blinded by the Light is about Javed (Viveik Kalra) a teenager who has started college in 1987 in the town of Luton which is facing industrial decline and the rise in racism.

Javed grew up in a traditional Pakistani family, his dad works in a car factory and is soon to be made redundant. His dad would like Javed to have a professional job where he can earn good money, Javed wants to write instead but he thinks no one would be interested. When a college friend introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen, Javed finds the Boss’s music talks to him directly and it enables Javed to find his own voice.

My parents used to talk about living in Luton. They must have hated it as they only stayed there for a few months and soon returned up north. Life in Luton during Mrs Thatcher’s 1980s was not too different from many other towns. No jobs, no money and fascists wanting to blame immigrants. It is notable that this film is set in 1987 but the yuppies have yet to get to places like Luton. They only seemed to have existed in London at that time.

Blinded by the Light is a feel good movie with undercurrents of the political and economics circumstances of the 1980s. It is a fertile ground to incorporate Bruce Springsteen songs, particularly from albums such as The River and Darkness in the Edge of Town. These albums had songs which resonated with blue collar workers in the USA that were facing job insecurity and young people heading towards a life of uncertainty.

The film also shows that Springsteen’s songs cuts across class, nationality, race and religion. It is this which elevates the movie. Javed, a young lad of Pakistani origin and his friend Roops, a sikh are inspired by the Boss’s music and find meaning in their lives.

What lets the movie down is the well worn cliche of the Asian son and father having differences when it comes to growing up.

The film contains twelve Springsteen songs including an unreleased song that he originally wrote for the first Harry Potter film but was unused. Given that the Boss can be notorious in allowing clearance for his music to be used in movies, in effect this film had his blessing and I was surprised he did not end up with a Producer credit.