Political Thinking with Nick Robinson 'Can you not hear their rage?': Film-maker Paul Greengrass
Sep 24, 2026
Paul Greengrass, the British filmmaker behind Bloody Sunday and the Bourne films, discusses The Uprising, his drama about the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. He explores its echoes in today’s political rage, inequality and Brexit-era divisions. Greengrass also recalls his journey from World in Action to Hollywood, his father’s political transformation, and cinema’s power to challenge authority.
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The Moderate Man Inside An Immoderate Revolt
- Greengrass created the ploughman as a moderate person caught inside radicalising events.
- His modest demands seek fairness under the law, not the destruction of society.
World In Action Taught Greengrass To Challenge Power
- Greengrass grew up in blue-collar Gravesend and learned filmmaking at Granada’s World in Action.
- Editors demanded clear, fast, accessible stories about subjects ordinary viewers cared about.
Jason Bourne Embodied Post 9/11 Distrust
- Greengrass connects his investigative documentaries to Jason Bourne’s distrustful worldview.
- Bourne captured the post-9/11 mood of paranoia, official deception, and demands for truth.
