Stephen Arnell

Refugees in film: a cinematic guide

  • From Spectator Life
Image: Shutterstock

The tragic ongoing events in Ukraine have highlighted the plight of refugees, with over 2m people (mainly women and children) fleeing the country since Russia invaded on 24 February 2022.

Sadly, refugee crises have been occurring since the dawn of what may ironically be called ‘civilisation’, most notably the Biblical Exodus from Egypt and Caesar’s conquest of Gaul, which began when the Swiss Helvetii confederation, under pressure of Germanic tribes, sought to cross into Roman territory on their westward journey to safety.

Movies concerning refugees range from the past (Exodus: Gods & Kings) to the dystopian future (Children of Men) and are international in scope, including the UK (Limbo), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Welcome to Sarajevo) and West Africa (Beasts of No Nation).

There are also a fair number of motion pictures which follow the lives of rulers forced to exit their countries (including Leo the Last, A King in New York, The Last Emperor, The Exception, The King’s Choice, and Monsieur N), but I will concentrate on the fate of the less privileged seekers of asylum.

Limbo (2021) MUBI, Amazon Rent/Buy

Writer/director Ben Sharrock’s critically lauded comedy-drama follows four single male asylum seekers confined to a bleak Scottish island (partly filmed on Uist in the Outer Hebrides) as they await the outcome of their claims for refugee status.

During their stay, the quartet endure cultural awareness lectures from two UK officials, which only adds to the ennui, especially since guidance on how to behave in a nightclub hardly applies to their current predicament.

Limbo has drawn favourable comparisons to the work of Bill Forsyth (Local Hero), Bruce Robinson (Withnail & I) and Aki Kaurismäki (Leningrad Cowboys Go America).

Exodus: Gods & Kings (2014) Disney+, Amazon Rent/Buy

Ridley Scott’s recounting of the life of Moses is heavy on CGI spectacle, less so on interesting characters.

Christian Bale turns in his by now familiar one-note dour performance as the Abrahamic prophet, who butts heads with Joel Edgerton’s entitled Pharaoh Ramesses II, leading his people to the Promised Land.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in