The Peaky Blinders

As the 1920s rolled on, business for Birmingham crime family the Peaky Blinders flourished. Employing methods such as bribery, violence and extortion to gain control of the city, they were close to their ultimate goal of taking over its government.

Cillian Murphy shines as Tommy Shelby, the violent yet emotionally damaged leader of an unsavory gang. But it is the women, such as Sophie Rundle in Ada and Helen McCrory as Polly who truly steal the show.

What is it?

The Peaky Blinders were a street gang originating in Birmingham, England during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Comprised primarily of working class men from Birmingham’s working classes, the group engaged in activities including robbery, violence, illegal betting and controlling of its black market. Notable characteristics included donkey jackets with silk scarves sewn onto flat caps worn with bell-bottom trousers and steel-capped boots; others claimed this name derived from sewing razor blades into these caps (though this claim seems unlikely since this type of cap wasn’t popular until 1908); or it could just refer to local slang at that time where someone who looked particularly striking – hence it being called The ‘blinderers’s’

The Peaky Blinders series follows the Shelby family and the rise of Tommy Shelby (played by Irish actor Cillian Murphy). Cool, calculated, and ruthless in his approach to power consolidation within Peaky Blinders, Tommy works to increase his influence and power within them; yet as danger mounts around him he must face tough choices about which decisions are the right ones to make.

Peaky Blinders is a British crime drama which first premiered in 2013 and quickly become an international success. Steven Knight drew inspiration from his own childhood experiences in Small Heath, Birmingham when creating this show and writing its sixth season.

Who are they?

The Peaky Blinders were an actual gang which existed in Birmingham at the turn of the twentieth century. While Steven Knight took some creative liberties when depicting them, his portrayal created a vivid and realistic picture.

Tommy Shelby, played by Irish actor Cillian Murphy, is the protagonist of this drama series. His role – played ruthlessly and cunningly by Irish actor Cillian Murphy – brings his family’s wealth and power into the gang; whilst his war experience left a permanent scar that made his personality even more calculated than before.

Members of this gang could be easily distinguished by wearing tailored jackets, lapeled overcoats and peaked flat caps adorned with tailoring details. Their members were notorious for corrupting the political system through bribing government officials, police officers and judges; this ultimately resulted in widespread rioting and violence within the city.

Michael Gray makes his debut as Aunt Polly’s long-lost son in series 2, sparking much contention between he and Tommy Shelby, eventually becoming their archrival and major source of tension within their gang. Notable cast members include Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby (Tommy’s older brother), Annabelle Wallis as Grace Shelby, former undercover agent daughter of Billy Kimber, as well as Sophie Rundle playing Ada – sister to Peaky Blinders leader Tommy Shelby.

What’s the point?

Peaky Blinders may be known for its gangster drama aspects, but Steven Knight’s series delves far deeper. Peaky Blinders explores family, violence and the human toll associated with criminal enterprises while touching upon political developments of the time period as well as making this particular strand of genre far more complex than ever imagined before.

Though based on real history, the show contains various exaggerations and inventions that go far beyond historical accuracy. For instance, in real life the Peaky Blinders were an urban youth gang active before World War I that operated out of Birmingham but the show places them into another time period altogether and takes liberties with names of members of the real gang; historians are often critical of such fictional depictions.

But Tommy Shelby and his crew remain engaging characters. Cillian Murphy excels as an actor on this series that boasts exceptional plot twists and exciting action sequences; making it one of the top shows to watch this year.

Peaky Blinders hit its stride during its fourth season. The Peaky Blinders gang was dealing with the Irish Republican Army (IRA), a rising terrorist organization at that time. Winston Churchill (Sam Claflin), British Prime Minister during that era even interacts with characters in the show at times despite never actually meeting or talking to any of them; some depictions of him are even inaccurate!

Is it worth it?

Peaky Blinders may seem like just another hair-raising television show with Tom Hardy yelling “fuck.” Yet there are plenty of lessons we can take away from watching this series about the Shelby family (and all those that stand in their way)!

This series has always been dark and brutal, but this season seems especially oppressive. Tommy faces an unprecedented threat from Italian-American mafia boss Luca Changretta’s quest to turn Birmingham into his personal playground; their showdown proves thrilling yet brutal as both sides lose lives trying to outgun each other.

At the end of it all, it can be hard to cheer for any of the characters portrayed here – they have all done awful things and are tormented by their pasts. Tommy Shelby’s quest for power knows no bounds – often leading to tragic results. While this series has always challenged taste standards in its portrayals of violence and nationalism.

Peaky Blinders has quickly become one of the most-watched shows on television, and the sixth and final season should certainly go down as one of its finest episodes ever. Unfortunately, though, an anticipated movie looms over everything – creating an uneven tone to proceedings; nonetheless, Peaky Blinders remains an outstanding and engaging series worth viewing!