When discussing Mike Leigh, we usually associate him with stories within the contemporary working class, deeply meditative and profoundly compelling social realist narratives that are firm reflections of the director’s origins within the movement popularly known as the “angry young men” of British cinema. However, he was prone to experimenting in many ways, and after several well-received dramas that pushed boundaries and established Leigh as arguably the most important British filmmaker of his generation, he took the risk of abandoning nearly everything that defined him as an artist, and instead pursued something quite different in the form of Topsy-Turvy, which sets aside many of his most distinct qualities, both temporal and thematic, and instead functions as a very different kind of film. A period drama set in Victorian England, and focused on the trials and tribulations of those within the upper class as they go about their daily lives creating art, the film is truly compelling and would initiate a secondary career for Leigh, who proves to be as exceptional a period dramatist as he is a social realist, which is quite an achievement for someone whose entire career has been defined by his profound curiosity and tendency towards challenging social conventions in creative ways, something that has carried over into other period dramas like Mr Turner and Peterloo, which follow this film in leaping into the past and investigating various ideas through Leigh’s fascinating perspective. Topsy-Turvy may not be Leigh’s most beloved film, nor is it even his most creative film, but it is still one of his most meaningful and provocative artistic experiments, a charming and interminably compelling drama about the everyday activities of two of the greatest dramatists of their generation, W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, whose life story has fascinated Leigh long enough for him to construct a film around their incredible and iconic careers that, much like the director, defined the artistic landscape for entire generations of artists.

Stylistically, Topsy-Turvy is a major departure from nearly everything Leigh had made in previous years – this is a film steeped heavily in the past, and it seemed to be very important for the director that every bit of effort was put into capturing the spirit of the era. However, his technique often veered towards the bleak, which was certainly not a quality that would work in this film, which is very much one of the more visually arresting films Leigh has made, by quite a wide margin. There are certainly a few moments when the film does show the more bleak side of the Victorian era, but this was mainly to contrast with the splendour and excess of the main characters, in whose lives we are actively invited to luxuriate, if only to see what it may have been like to be an artist living in this period, in comparison to the present day. Leigh works laboriously to make sure that Topsy-Turvy is gorgeous – the cinematography by regular collaborator Dick Pope is extraordinary as always, especially in how it is beautiful but never pandering (we rarely feel as if Pope or Leigh are forcing us to stop and splendour in the images they composed – instead, they aimed to capture life as it was, highlighting both the beauty and bleakness pulsating beneath a particular social situation and the people who populate it), while the costume design and construction of the sets do very well in capturing the appearance of this era, right down to the most intricate detail. These are the elements that greet us upon entry into Topsy-Turvy, and the ones that carry us through the story – however, the narrative is just as strong, with the visuals being in service of the biographical account of the creation of The Mikado, not only Gilbert and Sullivan’s most successful play, but the one that has shown the most longevity, being performed well into the 21st century, nearly a century and a half since its creation, and by far one of the most commercially successful operas to ever be stage. Style and substance occur in tandem in Leigh’s world, and this film is very much a clear indicator that, even when doing something more ambitious, there is still a method to the director’s madness, as we can see throughout this film.

In the process of working on a wider scope, Leigh is also inherently investigating a lot more than he usually would in the majority of his productions. Most of his films take place in the contemporary era and usually are set over a few days, if not less. Topsy-Turvy spans several years and focuses on the construction of a very popular opera, one that is widely respected but also quite intimidating in terms of scale. There is something so grandiose about seeing an opera come to life, and this film offers a semi-fictional (but still deeply authentic) depiction of the process of creating such a production, which is a quality that Leigh found fascinating enough to have the entire film revolve around, which is likely based on his inherent interest, not only in Gilbert and Sullivan themselves but how theatre functions. Having worked on stage from the start of his career (and periodically returning when something motivates him to undertake this process of mounting a stage production), Leigh had a profound connection to this material, even if only from the distance that comes with looking at past artists and the circumstances that motivated and facilitated their finest work. Many have noted that Topsy-Turvy is not only a brilliant account of the relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan, but a fascinating depiction of the era as a whole. The attention to detail that Leigh brings to the production is unmatched, and working closely with his artistic cohorts, he creates a vibrant and colourful version of this era, but one that is still very genuine in how it explores certain themes relating to the wider world in which this story takes place. Topsy-Turvy is as much about the esteemed dramatists as it is about Victorian England as a whole, and we find that many of the most compelling moments don’t come when we are looking at the impact of the central plot, but rather those brief interludes that occur on the periphery, in which we are given meaningful glimpses into the process of creation, and how it impacts those that surround a particular period.

However, as much as we can view Topsy-Turvy as a major departure for the director, Leigh’s most common traits are still objectively present, they are just hidden under layers of more abstract storytelling, with the period drama setting being a veneer that obscures the fact that, beneath the surface, he is still exploring many of the same themes, with similar elements to all of his work being present. At its core, this film is a deeply human drama about ordinary people who have dedicated their lives to a particular vocation, working together to solve a common problem. The visual flair and directorial complexity may make the film look gorgeous, but it’s the more subtle details that make it so powerful, and distinctively a work of a director with a firm grasp on every one of his stories. Few writers have ever been more aware of the intricacies of the human condition as Leigh, who spends most of the film exploring the depths of the relationships between these characters – Gilbert and Sullivan have always been viewed as a pair, and it is not difficult to believe their interactions to be civil and copacetic – but as we know, even the most dedicated partnerships are not entirely immune to challenges, which is precisely what this film is so intent on investigating, especially in the details that are presented throughout it. There is a level of complexity in how this film views the interactions between its characters, and the level of detail with which everyone is working is staggering, especially in how it focuses on the smallest and most profound details that underpin these relationships, which is where so much of the film’s conflict and honesty emerges. Topsy-Turvy is a beautiful film to look at, but its real impact comes in those unspoken moments of connection and conflict between these characters as they do their best to navigate their surroundings, which could be the overall premise of every one of Leigh’s films, which proves just how this film is still very much within the director’s wheelhouse, even if the exterior looks profoundly different from what we’ve come to expect from him.

In addition to the underlying themes that are common throughout his work, Leigh also employs many of his regular actors, who wholeheartedly agree to lend their talents to help the director realize possibly his most ambitious production at the time. This was a fascinating but worthwhile choice, especially since many of them were well-equipped to handle the challenges of a period drama, since it requires the actor to adapt to the style of the era being explored, changing their pattern of speaking, the way they move and express themselves, as well as acting in a way that reflects the past, especially important because Leigh was striving for authenticity, rather than a modern perspective on the era (far too many period dramas filter everything through a contemporary gaze, with very little effort to get into the heart of what makes these stories so intriguing), which makes a profound difference with this film. Leigh had a lot of work ahead of him when setting out to make this film, but when Jim Broadbent and Allan Corduner are the leads of the project, then essentially half the work is done, since they are consummate professionals and truly extraordinary storytellers when they appear on the screen. Whether appearing together in a scene or individually, they both bring a level of complexity to the film that sets a solid foundation and allows it to grow in wonderful and eccentric ways, which is one of the great delights of seeing this film transpire. They are also both actors who understand the importance of finding a balance between comedy and drama – the film is more serious than it is lighthearted, but they bring a sincere amount of levity to the story that helps keep it charming and engaging while highlighting the relationship between these two masterful artists. The supporting cast is also filled with regular collaborators, with terrific work from Lesley Manville, Timothy Spall, Kevin McKidd and Ron Cook all being valuable in establishing a solid foundation from which this film can work. It’s a strong cast that rises to the occasion, and delivers spellbinding work throughout, which is not an easy task, to say the very least.

As a whole, Topsy-Turvy is the kind of film that benefits from the viewer forming their unique relationship with the material. It is extremely well-written (and likely done in conjunction with the actors, as per Leigh’s traditional method of writing his screenplays), but a lot of the best moments are those driven less by narrative and more by the atmosphere, which is similarly potent and unquestionably fascinating. It is often quite a dense film, and at 160 minutes it is much longer than many of us would like, although Leigh is one of the few filmmakers that can genuinely demand a longer running time without any objection since his work always benefits from having the space to marinade in the major themes. However, every second is worthwhile and feels honest and genuine in the way it approaches its primary concepts, which is not an easy task for something with as broad a scope as this. The production is absolutely beautiful, but it’s those smaller elements that elevate Topsy-Turvy and make it so memorable – the brief touches of heartfelt humour, the complex relationships between various characters as they work together to produce a work of art, or simply those small ideas that converge and become a product of extraordinarily beautiful and steadfast honesty, which is always a wonderful experience, especially for a film this quiet and resilient in its perspective. Leigh may certainly have made better films, or ones that are most aligned with his overall sensibilities and the aspects that fascinate him – but his occasional forays into the past are always fantastic, and his profound understanding of both the larger elements and the smaller details is what pushes a film like Topsy-Turvy to be such an unforgettable experience, especially from a director with as much credibility and skill as Leigh, who has yet to waste even an iota of the qualities that have made him such an important filmmaker, and someone whose vision is remarkable. An awe-inspiring but thought-provoking work of incredible complexity, Topsy-Turvy is an astonishing achievement.