My Beautiful Laundrette is a British movie filmed in London in 1985 and directed by Stephen Frears. The film combines comedy and drama genres and depicts the story of a young Pakistani man reuniting with his old friend and eventually engaging in a romantic relationship with him. However, the plot is not the only attractive aspect of this movie. One of its features is the image of London during the Thatcher years: the evil and gloomy London filled with interpersonal conflicts and enmity.
Many people see London as a romantic dream city: it is the largest city in the United Kingdom, there are many beautiful sights, and its everlasting mists can seem mysteriously attractive. However, London is also a typical place on Earth inhabited by people, and it has the same imperfections as any other city, which is perfectly depicted in the movie under discussion. The film illustrates the dark side of London by raising standard social issues: relationships between white people and people of color, the differences between rich and poor (My Beautiful Laundrette 1985). Furthermore, the movie’s two main characters are homosexual, and London is practically the birthplace of fascist skinheads, many of whom were not fond of gay people (My Beautiful Laundrette 1985). London was a gloomy city in former times, and it was challenging for many people to live there.
Overall, the movie My Beautiful Laundrette gives its watchers a negative impression of London during the Thatcher years and shows a dark side of the city, depicting various social conflicts. London was a beautiful city on the outside, but it was gloomy and horrific on the inside. It was filled with fascism, evil, and hatred, and many people struggled because of that, and the movie perfectly illustrates those times.
Reference
My Beautiful Laundrette. Directed by Stephen Frears. 1985. Mainline Pictures.