For over half a century, Mike Leigh has defined the concept of radical cinema in both political and artistic terms. One of the most important stalwarts of the “angry young men” movement that was borne out of the rise of kitchen-sink realism, he has produced works that simmer with complexity and fury for the state of England and the plight of the working class. He is a vitally important filmmaker for numerous reasons, and even if we go to the very start of his career, we can see the traits of a director who had a very promising future ahead of him. Bleak Moments (his debut as a director) is rarely discussed outside of circles that are devoted to exploring Leigh’s career, which essentially means that it is virtually unknown to those who are not dedicated to his particular brand of social commentary. This is quite a shame, since this is one of the most ambitious directorial debuts of its era, a film that stands as one of the most steadfast statements against the perils of the working class in a country divided by social unease and political disorder that keeps many people away from achieving their ambitions. It features many of the qualities that became Leigh’s trademarks, with his wit and candour being constantly featured in this challenging and provocative example of his distinct blend of comedy and tragedy, which would continue to evolve and develop as time went on, representing the start of one of the most important careers in the history of British cinema, and one that remains globally resonant.

Leigh’s roots are within the theatre, so it is only logical that his debut would feature many of the techniques one would use when crafting a stage production. His origins in avant-garde theatre are evident in every frame of Bleak Moments, which could be seen as both merits and flaws – although it is vitally important to remember that, despite becoming one of the elder statesmen of British cinema, he was also once a rambunctious young director with ambitions fueled by his desire to simply tell stories, which is what led him to work in every conceivable medium, fluidly traversing film, stage and television frequently over the course of his career. Bleak Moments is where it started, and while it is undeniably (and logically) the film of his that is most rough around the edges and in need of some further work, it is a fascinating introduction to a raw talent that was clearly propelled by some deep and unsettling anger towards the institution, which manifested in this story of a young secretary trying to balance her social life with her domestic situation, which includes a mentally disabled younger sister who she adores, but also finds to be an enormous hindrance on her potential to move forward in life. It’s a film driven by dialogue (as most of Leigh’s films are), and with the limited resources available to him, it’s understandable why this film looked almost entirely like a filmed stageplay, rather than offering the most dynamic cinematic experience. Leigh was still working out several techniques of his own here, and the process was very much about diving into his own perception of certain characters and developing a story around their various exploits.

When placed alongside each other, Leigh’s films form a vivid tapestry of the history of Britain, stretching from the 18th century to the present day – and while they vary in tone and narrative, there are certain elements that are shared between them. The most notable of them all is perspectives on the working class, the social category from which Leigh himself emerged, and therefore is logically the one that he is most passionate about. Whether comedy or drama (or something in between), his films frequently look at the plight of those born into a life of hard labour for very little reward, and showcased the director’s clear incredulity towards the supposed promises given to these people that their social situation will somehow be resolved should they persist and, quite frankly just work harder than they are already. Bleak Moments certainly does reflect the tone of the title, with Leigh primarily concerning himself with exploring working-class malaise through his distinctly unique tone, which seamlessly combines gentle humour with a genuine sense of downbeat melancholy, which creates a deeply unsettling and quite uncomfortable series of episodic moments in the lives of these characters, who just want to navigate their daily routine with some sense of security. Regardless of where one falls on the economic spectrum, nothing makes us more reflective on our place in society more than Leigh’s stories, which force us into a state of rumination, in which we gradually find ourselves questioning the entire institutionalized system that has been consolidated into our inherent beliefs, which is the primary theme that the director is actively working to subvert through his films, which was evident from the very start, as shown frequently in this film.

Leigh’s films always feature memorable performances, and whether broad or subtle, they manage to be extraordinarily compelling. Bleak Moments was a very early entry into his career, so he had not developed his technique of rehearsals and the improvisation that comes about as a result, which meant that a lot of the dialogue feels far less fluid and authentic than it would in his later films, and the performances are mostly restricted to amateur actors (with sporadic appearances by seasoned veterans like Liz Smith, who is absolutely heartbreaking in her few scenes, as does Donald Sumpter, who had a tendency towards lending his gifts to newer British filmmakers around this time), many of whom have existing relationships with Leigh based on their stage work. Expecting incredible performances on the calibre of his later work will only lead to disappointment, especially since everyone in Bleak Moments is fantastic, despite being relatively new to the craft. In fact, there’s an argument to be made that their lack of experience is a merit, since it brings a level of rawness that makes the film feel more authentic. Much like his colleague Ken Loach, Leigh’s decision to cast less-established actors, or those who are outright non-professionals, adds layers of complexity, and makes the film feel even more genuine, since we can relate to their plight much more than had it been a situation where it was famous actors playing these parts. Anne Raitt, Joolia Cappleman and Sarah Stephenson are all terrific in the film, and it is unfortunate that none of them achieved careers worthy of their talents, since this film proves them in an abundance, and suggests that Leigh was as good at discovering talents as he was nurturing them.

Bleak Moments is a film that we have to assess not solely on its own merits, but also in what it represented for those involved, which is actually one of the more interesting aspects of watching this film. This was the start of a brilliant career, one that would be not only artistically resonant, but also historically relevant. Leigh is an institution onto himself, a director with a broad artistic vision and deep compassion for the most intricate and complex ideas, which are effortlessly woven into the fabric of his stories, which was clear from the very beginning. There’s a lot of virtue in seeing what he does with this material – the psychological complexity, coupled with the social unease and economic complexity (all of which can be traced back to the political undercurrents that have always been a factor in the director’s work, regardless of premise), creates a distinctly unsettling experience. Obviously, there were several issues that came with this being a low-budget debut – the pace is laborious and rather slow, and the tone can be very jarring, especially when it seems to be diverging. There’s a deep sense of provocative storytelling that underpins every side of the film, and it gradually becomes a work of harrowing social commentary that speaks a lot about the dreadful circumstances that many people had to face. Leigh would revisit many of these ideas and refine them throughout his career, but even on its own, Bleak Moments represents many of his most exciting and insightful ideas, and becomes one of the most deeply compelling works of pure kitchen-sink realism we’ve encountered so far, and a work of vital importance in numerous ways.