Against the Law

[Jellybean]

Against the Law is a BBC film from 2017 which either passed me by at the time of its release or my memory is playing tricks on me. It was shown on BBC Four on August 16th, 2021. It is set in the UK and begins in 1952 when homosexuality was still illegal. It is based on a true story and tells the disturbing account of the relationship between two gay men, Peter Wildeblood (an Anglo-Canadian journalist) and Eddie McNally (a RAF serviceman) that will lead one of them to be arrested, tried and imprisoned for gross indecency and buggery. It is part drama and part documentary from some of those gay men who lived through the period before The Sexual Offences Act 1967 partially decriminalised male homosexuality in the UK. If you are interested in seeing how tough it was for gay men before the law changed in the UK, then I thoroughly recommend this film.

Below is a brief synopsis from IMDb, a review by Julia Raeside of The Guardian, a newspaper front page clipping from the Daily Mirror and a short YouTube BBC trailer and two promotional still photos:

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Peter Wildeblood's affair with a handsome serviceman he met in Piccadilly during the time homosexuality was a crime and the devastating consequences of their relationship.

Source: IMDb

TV review Television

Against the Law review – when being gay was a crime

This one-off brilliantly melds drama and documentary to tell the story of the only openly gay man to testify before the Wolfenden Committee in 1955, as well as capturing the fear and shame that once surrounded homosexuality

Julia Raeside
Thu 27 Jul 2017 06.00 BST Last modified on Tue 19 Jun 2018 12.24 BST

“I shouldn’t be here. This shouldn’t be happening to me,” rages Peter Wildeblood (Daniel Mays), as a prison doctor (Mark Gatiss) takes him through the treatment options to “cure” him of his homosexuality. He can either be electrocuted while fantasising about sex with men, or he can receive injections to make him vomit and defecate on himself. He will sit, soiled, for three days, untouched and unhelped. As a dramatic sequence, it is shocking, but backed up by real-life testimonies as it is here, it is devastating . . .

For the full article see: The Guardian

[francois]

Jellybean, how does one view this film?

[latintopxxx]

funny how it was all illegal but still flourished...from army boys making their services available at local parks to rthe telegraph messsengers..

[Jellybean]

Jellybean, how does one view this film?

Now, you’ve got me there, françois. I'm guessing that arsenal is possibly the best member to answer your question as he is, from what I can gather, able to download films and TV shows via the Internet while living in China. Or maybe some other technically savvy member can answer your question?

A quick Internet search produced several sites that offer free TV and film downloads, but as I have never used them, I am reluctant to recommend any particular site.

I did however find the following 'how to' site, but I suspect it is aimed primarily at Brits on holiday or living abroad and is probably of no use to you:

How to stream and watch online content whilst abroad
BY DAVE BRETT

https://traveldave.co.uk/how-to-stre...t-when-abroad/