Review of I, Daniel Blake (2016) by Spinetinglers — 13 Feb 2017

‘A heart-wrenching polemic of state-led bureaucracy in Britain, executed masterfully by the country’s finest socially aware director of a generation.’.

Having been decorated with arguably the most prestigious artistic award in film, the Palm d’Or in May this year, ‘I, Daniel Blake’ is an immensely powerful representation of the struggle between humane compassion and determination against the constant, and highly unacceptable oppressiveness of the current welfare state. It is a battle-cry for common decency that yearns for open ears and absorbent hearts, lifting you by the collar and catapulting you into Loach’s formidable neorealist world of unjust societal issues.

The world in which we are immersed in is portrayed through the life of Daniel Blake, a ruthlessly determined and proud carpenter from the industrial and grey skied north-east city of Newcastle, who due to a heart condition has been forced to leave work and apply for Employment and Support Allowance. Having been rejected by the robotic hierarchy of ‘officials’ in the Jobseekers Allowance offices, we are transported with Daniel (stand-up comedian Dave Johns) on a journey of degradation that makes you both question the government’s understanding of welfare and have faith in humanity all at once.

The crucially succinct narrative, written by Loach’s long term collaborator Paul Laverty, is incredibly effective and acts as a main indicator between the everyday man and the overarching shadow of the state. The monotone ramblings of the office worker in the speech orientated opening scene when asking Daniel to perform simple tasks such as raising his arm, paralleled against the at first jovial disbelief of Blake, set the tone for the rest of the film. It is the nameless ‘health professional’ who triumphs over Daniel’s confusion and inability, deeming him unfit to work and instigating the beginning of the end. Daniel’s life is paired alongside that of Katie’s (played by rising star Hayley Squires), a single mum of two who has travelled from the capital of soaring house prices and living costs to Newcastle with her two children Daisy and Dylan. Our understanding of Katie’s situation is demonstrated in her own struggle against the cold-blooded resistance of Sheila, the steely-eyed stone-faced office worker, who rejects any form of empathy towards the pale-skinned and harrowed Londoner. Daniel’s disbelief at witnessing the dehumanisation of such a vulnerable member of society sparks a relationship that although at first unlikely, is bonded by the need for common good and compassion in such a bleak situation.

It is the intangible ambition of both Daniel and Katie respectively that makes this film so incredibly powerful. Or perhaps it is the fact their hopes and aspirations are so brutally rejected that does it instead. Katie talks of rebuilding the lives of her and her children, ‘making this house a home’ if it’s the last thing she does and attending Open University to give her the best chance of escaping from poverty in the world’s fifth wealthiest country. Daniel’s determination is portrayed through his acts of kindness, for example, by crafting a hanging fish ornament identical to the one in his own home, for Katie’s daughter Daisy. It is only Daniel’s inability to overcome technological computerised form-filling techniques that counteract against his determination and ambition. For Katie, a simple broken tile that falls upon cleaning it speaks volumes of her own shattered personality. They are aspirational, hard-working individuals seeking a fair crack of the government’s relentless encroaching whip.

And in no scene does this whip crack harder than when young Katie is reduced to ripping off the lid from a tin of baked beans as she finally hits rock bottom in the food bank. I don’t think I’ve ever been moved so bluntly by a scene in any film before. The cinematography is impeccable, as we see a wide-angled shot of the packed shelves that raise above Katie, while she devours the pathetic tin of food. This scene, depicting a simple action that many of us take for granted every day rises above any politicised narrative and is simply about human survival rather than agenda. Left, right, centre. We’re all human.

This film is so intrinsic and beautifully made that I could dissect every scene and take something away from it. There is simply no filler and the performances from both Johns and Squire are so subtly and movingly executed that it could have passed a true documentary. Every scene, every word, every whisper, every grunt, every broken Geordie and London accent needs listened to. The words leave the mouths and enter your chest before your ears with an emotional punch like no other.

There’s a bit of Daniel and Katie in all of us, no matter who you are or where you’re from. We just hope that we aren’t the unlucky ones.