In the year 1900 an idealistic young man joins a medical research facility, only to face his colleagues’ wrath for his progressive social views. Then he falls in love with a woman who helps him fight the establishment.
Stephen Poliakoff’s Century begins on the last day of 1899, a time when British society was energised by giant leaps in scientific and medical discovery, and filled with hope and enthusiasm for the future. Setting the story at this significant moment in history, Poliakoff explores his thematic preoccupations: the effects of commerce and science on individuals and society.
Century sees Poliakoff drawing comparisons with the approaching millennium, stressing the politics of scientific progress and the effects on individuals and society. The doctors discuss possible medical advances in the next century, speculating about the eradication of certain diseases. Century atmospherically recreates London at this watershed moment, reflecting the complex mood of the time, caught between excitement and anxiety at the birth of a new century. – Chris Allison, BFI
Starring Charles Dance, Clive Owen, Miranda Richardson, Robert Stephens, Joan Hickson.
Rated R