Steven Knight’s reflections on Peaky Blinders’ fascist and racist character.

Steven Knight’s Peaky Blinders has captivated audiences worldwide with the tumultuous world of the Shelby family, as they navigated the treacherous landscape of gang warfare and political intrigue. Loosely based on the real-life urban youth gang of the same name, the series incorporates elements from historical figures and addresses prevalent themes such as anti-Irish sentiment.

Peaky Blinders | Credit: BBC
However, amidst the compelling narrative, the show also includes characters embodying fascist and racist ideologies. Knight opened up about such a character Oswald Mosley, acknowledging the unsettling parallels between his beliefs and actions and modern sociopolitical trends.

Steven Knight Reflected on Creating Fascist Characters in Peaky Blinders

In an interview with The Guardian, Steven Knight discussed the complex dynamics of creating a character like Oswald Mosley, whose portrayal aligned with the reprehensible ideologies of racism and fascism within the show.
Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby | Credit: BBC

Introduced in season five as a rising British fascist, Mosley’s character serves as a harbinger of the impending Nazi ascent, presenting a new kind of challenge for Tommy Shelby beyond mere business rivalry. Knight discussed how historical figures like Oswald Mosley manipulated public sentiment.

“The rise of fascism, racism, national socialism and populism … it’s happening now — I looked at Mosley’s speeches, and one of them began ‘Do not believe false news.’ He was telling people that the media was lying to them, that foreigners were taking things away from them.”

Sam Claflin as Sir Oswald Mosley | Credit: BBC

Reflecting on working with the character, Knight called it his good fortune to explore such themes artistically. However, he also described it as a bittersweet sentiment, stating, “It’s my good fortune – but the world’s bad fortune,” as he acknowledged the unfortunate reality that these issues continue to persist in the world.

Steven Knight Shared an Update on the Peaky Blinders Movie

Steven Knight has recently shared a promising update for the highly anticipated Peaky Blinders movie. In a conversation with NME, he shared that he has been doing the “final polishes” which will continue until the filming for the movie begins.

“It’s gonna happen this September,” he said before adding, “We’ve got everything sorted, we’ve got all the commitments we need, we are ready to go.” He assured fans that the movie would serve as a fitting conclusion to the beloved historical drama, promising to elevate the storytelling to new heights.
Steven Knight | Credit: YouTube/Esquire UK
Knight also shared that the star of the hit TV series, Cillian Murphy, is also open to revisiting his iconic character of Tommy Shelby. “After every award that he won, he would text and say, ‘I really can’t wait to be doing Peaky,” he said.

Knight further expressed his anticipation, “So I can’t wait for it to start shooting.” While specific details about the plot remain under wraps, it’s anticipated that the movie will pick up where the dramatic conclusion of season 6 left off.

Peaky Blinders is available to stream on Netflix.