Taking Liberties  (2007)

This documentary film shows the wide ranging nature of the legislation passed in Britain over the last 10 years to restrict personal freedom, particularly the freedom to protest. I feared it would be massively 'preachy' and so biased that any truth to its message was lost. However, overall I thought it carried things off really well. Perhaps because the application of the laws passed has been so extreme at times that they didn't have to look to hard for examples which made one's jaw drop open whilst thinking 'Is that really now illegal?' For instance, two harmless young people simply standing in the centre of London reading out the names of all of those killed in Iraq. I do hope this gets a terrestrial tv airing as soon as possible.

I can't help but think all the four and five star reviews are more for the subject matter than for how this particular documentary is put together. To me personally what they are discussing is vitally important and the more attention is drawn to the liberties we have lost the better but having been looking forward to this for a while I was keenly disappointed in the first few minutes. Do we really need the sixth form-art students black and white menu with the overt comparisons to Nazi Germany? This is a comparison they make though out the documentary until you just want to say “Well, no, we’re not living in Nazi Germany are we, because if we were everyone involved in the making of this documentary and all the political dissidents (and I include myself in that) would have been tortured and then killed. I can’t help but feel this argument is just lazy. With no differences in the two main parties at the moment the job of opposition falls to us. We have to question and fight the government. As Mark Thomas says we are the checks and balances – but if we can’t raise our game to better arguments than the ones thirteen year olds use we are in trouble. There are also serious questions to be raised in the editing such as in the sequence critiquing (rightfully) the media for using the image of a wounded man to sell us on the idea of longer and longer detention times (something the man in question absolutely opposes). Seconds later they are discussing a police raid and they introduce a clip of a massive guy, all in black, gas mask, flak jacket etc smashing through a window. Police footage? No, they’ve edited in a scene from a drama or film to emote an emotional response so you are more susceptible to they’re way of thinking. Pot – Kettle – Black. When all this is said and done however the production values are good and you can’t fault the effort put into it. I found the scene where the WW2 RAF veteran was dragged off particularly hard to watch and I would definitely say it kept my attention for the full running time. The makers would do well to check out Outfoxed or Uncovered: The war on Iraq, in particular in which cold hard facts are meticulously used to dissect every reason, half truth and outright lie foisted on us in the run up to Gulf War 2.

Initially I thought I was going to enjoy this film as it was exposing the lies and how we are becoming a surveillance society. Then it went on and on and on about guantanamo bay and became rather boring and monotonous.

How the Tesco review site could give this one star without a glimpse of the film is a mystery!Seriously,it's not until you see a film like this where all the liberties we have lost over the last 10 years are given an airing that the loss of habeus corpus,the surveillance society ,the lack of freedom to demonstrate,etc,are given an airing,that one realizes how much one has ceded to an authoritarian government.(It has its funny moments too)

At least one of the reviews for this says that the film-makers are taking cheap shots by comparing New Labour to Hitler's fascist regime and state that we aren't living in nazi Germany. I think they're missing the point. In 1932 Germans weren't living in nazi Germany, but by 1933 they were... First they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. Pastor Martin Niemöller

Taking Liberties should be watched by everyone in the UK who values freedom - and that should be everyone in the UK. This documentary takes us step by step through the ways in which the Blair government slowly removed our fundamental liberties. We've already lost a lot of freedom, hopefully this film will encourage more people to demand it back.

Absolutely brilliant. You could not help feeling both involved, disturbed and helpless. Should be compulsory viewing for anyone on, or one day to be on, the electoral roll.

Documenting the Blair years and highlighting British peoples loss of civil liberties. I think this will be a real eye opener to some in this country, personally I never noticed just how many times Blair tried to point out look Britain is not a policed state..... Today this is entertainment, tomorrow I may not be permitted to write this, and you would not be allowed to read.

Maybe the best documentory I (and my husband) have ever seen! We keep up to date with currant affairs and thought we knew our stuff about politics in this area, but this documentory taught us both that we have taken our eyes off the ball. It should really be mandatory viewing for every British citizen!

I've just ordered a copy to lend to all my friends. It's one small thing I can do to help spread the word. I urge people to view this film and do the same.

WATCH THIS FILM! Yes, it could be accused of sinking to Michael Moore-like sentimentality and manipulativeness (I particularly disliked the emotive music brought on at key points, an unnecessarily cheap trick, I thought), and yes, it's preachy and homespun and with more than a repellently vegan sort of approach to things. But there are times when, if you're a wettish liberal like me, you'll find yourself horrified by the way things have changed from the rosy-tinted view of the UK people like us have. There are police-state like aspects to the way this society is going that it's all to easy to shy away from facing up to, and perhaps this film - for all its flaws - may make some of us think a little more critically of the political changes we accept out of laziness.

If you care to understand what you hear on the news, what is happening around you, and why then this film is a must-see for you. If you are concerned about the ever-increasing power of the state, the police, politicians and corporations, this film will definitely not put you at ease. If you have ever experience injustice, discrimination or arbitrary curtailment of your liberty you'll see you are not alone. And if you are lucky enough to not belong in any of these but live in the UK you should still see this film, it's fast, it's furious, it's funny, it's scary and it will open your eyes to something you won't be able to hide from for much longer.

Taking Liberties is an entertaining and thought provoking documentary that shine a bright light on the darkness creeping through UK society. Wacthing this film made me angry to my very core at the erosion of civil liberties in my own country. This film should be screened in every school, college and university across the nation. Never has our freedom been this threatened.

More proof (if it were needed) that Tony Blair and his government have no respect for the people who elected him. There's extensive footage of him hiding behind his sh*t-eating grin as he tramples over out civil liberties and yaps at the ankles of his master, Dubya. The evidence shown here leaves 3 possibilities with regards to Blair's knowledge of what was going on: 1. He knew, which strongly suggests that he cares not one jot about public opinion and international law. 2. He didn't know, which means he's impotent or ignorant and should not have been leading a country, or, 3. He thought he was doing the right thing, which means he is insane. And now the Tories are trying to model their leader on him... That clang you can hear is the death-knell of democracy.

Every person in the UK should see this film. In fact, it should be shown in every school, every tv network, just everywhere. People of the UK, you need to see what your so-called democratic government has done - stand up for yourselves. This film is a call to get out on the streets and demand change. Brilliant.

What? Politicians can't be trusted? Nowhere near as smoothly done as Michael Moore et al (i.e. the Americans). I stumbled across this courtesy of some trailers. Why do these kind of documentary films never get the publicity they deserve? You may not agree with the angles that the makers take, but if nothing else they give you food for thought. Take the chance to open your eyes to the world around you. Start thinking for yourself a bit instead of being continually spoonfed by 'the man'. Whatever the cause, 'united we stand, divided we fall'.

This documentary has been attacked as one-sided and partisan. There is certainly no doubt that it passionately argues a case rather than presenting both sides of the argument without making judgement.

Yet it is difficult to see how any rational person without a vested interest could argue against the principal charge that our traditional rights and freedoms are under threat.

The scaffold on which are freedom is to be sacrificed is being erected plank by plank as this documentary details. First our right of protest is being restricted. New laws and worrying application of civil injunctions together with draconian actions and 'in-your face' surveillance by an increasing politicised police force.

Second, rights stemming from the Magna Carta are being removed. Detention without trial in our country in the form of tagging and house imprisonment and a blind-eye to US torture and detention in places like Guantanamo.

How do our leaders justify all this? They talk of public protection and defending democracy. The documentary, however, makes the case that we are not considerably safer but we are a lot less free as a result. One also is led to wonder if we would need all this 'protection' if we had a more reasonable and equitable approach to Muslim and Arab countries. Tony Blair knew that an occupation of Iraq would lead to an increase in terrorism. We have known for years that a slavish anti-Palestinian policy creates ill-will. Yet the same people who have created the problem now offer to protect us from the consequences - at a price!

This documentary holds your attention and serves to warn us all of the Police State that we may slide into. The most damning part of the documentary isn't the graphics, the interviewees or the commentary. It is the clips of Blair standing silent next to Bush as he lies about Guantanamo, the evasive performance of Jack Straw when questioned about torture and Blunkett in the Commons justifying his illiberal policies. It also shows ordinary folk exercising good sense and standing-up for their rights and those of their passive and silent fellow citizens. Far from being depressing it is inspiring - a clarion call to defend our hard-won rights.

This film exposes the reality of living in a police state in the new millennium. A State which possesses nuclear arsenal which could wipe out the galaxy several times over and a massive war machine has succeeded in frightening a population into thinking that a bearded gentleman living in cave somewhere in Afghanistan has the potential to endanger our lives. Yes, the UK labour government has progressively introduced one of the developed world's most repressive police states (CCTV, ID cards, banning the right to protest, police harassment) and it''s going to get worse. This film is a sobering wake up call to us to do something about it. Join Amnesty, boycott the ID cards, go on a demo, any form of civil disobedience will do! Fantastic appearances from Boris Johnson, Tony Benn and Henry Porter! Well worth watching, no matter what your politics are: left wing, right wing or chicken wing! 4/5

Take a break from watching 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here' this evening and have what the late Bill Hicks would've referred to as a 'Third Eye Sqeegee'. This film will definately open your eyes to the Britain that exists beyond the headlines of tabloid rags like The Sun. Take the time to watch all of the extras, of which there are many extended interviews and stories that didn't make it into the film.

Excellent film, saw it on the big screen in March – picked up more information this time round. If you care about your freedom (or lack of it !), you should watch this offering, good to see Mark Thomas is alive & well & still politically active.

A shocking expose of what this government does and how we all fall for it.A must watch.

This film should alert the viewer to the way in which ancient freedoms which we have taken for granted, such as the right to protest, have been eroded and in some cases lost altogether in the UK. The film should alert us to how far Britain has slipped towards being a police state in the last 25 years, and to how this process has accelerated in recent years under the guise of the 'war on terror.'

If the answer to the tiltle of this review is 'Yes' then you should be a very worried person. The erosion of the 'rights' we think we have in this country is shown in this coherant and at times very witty film. It really should be shown on all TV channels at the same time one night during the major 'Soaps' slot because everybody should be aware of what has been done to the checks and balances which used to exist under the laws of this land. With contributions from the likes of Mark Thomas and others this is enjoyable, enlightening,but ultimately nightmare inducing and you will NEVER agree to ID cards after watching this!

People have complained about the comparison with the Nazi's but the comparison is fair. The German public didn't vote for the National Socialists because they wanted the Final Solution; The Nazis preyed on peoples fears to slowly gain a stranglehold on the country. Martin Niemöller's peom 'First they came...' describes it simply. One assumes that New Labour's motivation is somewhat more altruistic, but this film demonstrates all the changes that curb our civil liberties that have been brought in since 1997. They were brought in to fight terrorists and organised criminal gangs, but are used to control us, the 'subversive' population. If you are one of these people who parrot the government mantra - 'if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear' - I dare you to say so after watching this film.

Gives a good incite on how taking away liberties gradually can result in serious problems for a country, and how history has evidenced this over many years.

for a film about freedom, it's quite ironic to suggest it should be compulsory viewing but despite this paradox, it's one of the most important films you'll watch. More down to earth and less edited than Michael Moore's films, this is even more remarkable and shocking. If you can turn your attention away from XFactor for long enough then you might be amazed at what's been going on in the last few years. The sad thing is that most of the people who watch this will already be aware of most of the issues and those who won't probably won't have the time because the next series of Dancing on Ice is about to start. I guess it's our job to try and persuade them to give it a go.

Essential viewing for Chomsky fans.

I thought this documentary was very cleverly put together, and as a lot of facts, you cant help to wonder if was made by the opposition of the Labour Party. At the end of the day it still makes you think.

This is a fantastic film, very educational and elightening with an easy to follow format. stirred up old anarchy feelings, and showed disturbing footage of government policies. Highly recommended

ok - so take a handful of political injustices and make them into an hour and a half documentary, with a couple of blatently obvious government plants acting as civil liberties maidens and you get this film. There was so much promised in the title yet the feature just completely fails to deliver, attempting to portray New Labour as a Nazi state is just ridiculous. Yes there have been some mistakes made in the rush to implememt anti terror laws, Yes Guantanamo bay is an attrocity, but the rest of this film was just pure trash. Miss it and you are missing nothing !

it raises some important points about civil liberties that we all need to be aware of. However it is bent on it's own propoganda and ignores many actions and tries to push people in to holes (ie Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are the devil and Winston Churchill and Boris Johnson are the paragons of virtue - which is a half truth in a film which highlights the danger of such things). So while it is a bit of a personal vendetta and has no balance it brings some poingnant examples and the case that it is making is so important that it needs not to be ignored. Never going to win a Oscar as it's not a masterpiece rather just someone using film to get their point across.

This film confirms all of my suspicions about our despicable Nu Labour 'government' and their internal and foreign cronies. I have been shouting about erosion of liberties for years but the typical response is 'we can't do anything about it'. This film focuses on people who are prepared to do something about it; freedom loving, conscientious folk and the efforts of the rising police state to silence them. It contains humour and clever sarcasm with a serious flip side. Like others on this forum I would say that this film should be aired on network TV ASAP! It should be COMPULSORY viewing. Open your eyes! Wake up! Educate yourself and rent this movie regardless of your political preferences.

Good documentary - should be compulsory viewing to all citizens! Don't let the government pull the wool over our eyes....

This is an absolutely must see documentary for anyone who has the common sense to take an interest in this patch of ground that we live on!!

Some of the shots - particularly of police behaviour - are shocking. The police, of course, are only doing their job. What the film questions is the political thought and action that do, undoubtedly, infringe civil liberties. Thus, the film is a wake-up call to us all and encourages us, rightly, to be vigilant about what is done in our name and to defend freedom, so long the bed-rock of British living. The film makers,however, undermine some of their own credibility in their undoubtedly sincere motivation. For example, the shots of Blair supposedly watching the television programme '24' actually use the very tactics that the film stands against. Also we are asked to accept without question that all those whose civil rights are at best constrained (and often much worse) are sincere and innocent. There is no proof offered. Perhaps this is the point of the film: one should be presumed innocent until proved guilty (however, quite how you deal with someone who resists arrests on suspicion of guilt remains a thorny problem and one on which I am sure the police have a view). Undoubtedly 'Taking Liberties' is provocative and timely. However, I felt the style is guilty of sensationalism and possibly of one-sidedness. Given the importance of the subject matter it is a pity that the evidence gathered by director Chris Atkins is not used as the basis for a more responsible approach on television, thereby reaching the widest audience and bring the whole matter to the public debating arena.

Excellent film exposing the way our rights are being eroded. We all talk/moan about it, but it's not until you see something like this you realise how serious a matter it it. Watch it, then do something about it!!

This is a must see film for anyone at all interested in the fact that Labour has passed laws which restrict our freedom of speech and freedom to protest, and has covertly condoned the use of torture. Should be shown in all schools.

A good look at Tony Blair time while in office and his lying, duplicitous, sinister actions.This film examines the UK & USA's use of terrorism legislation. A good hard look at government meddling; curbing legitimate protest and forging dodgy legal deals with the USA, not to mention the politicising of the police force and general pointless curbs on basic freedoms to go about one's business. Some great interviews with the ever reliable Boris Johnson, Mark Thomas, Tony Benn and stony faced policemen. Very entertaining and informative.

This film left a nasty taste not just because of the examples of Blair's totalitarian instincts, but the language in it. The film ends with a horrible, obscene pop song by a man who was a half decent artist ten years ago, in which the C word is used over a dozen times. And this has a 12 certificate. So just to repeat for any people out there thinking of watching this with their kids: THIS 12 CERTIFICATE FILM HAS A DOZEN CLEAR USES OF THE C WORD. I think that's pretty disgusting and the BBFC should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves (again).

its makers veiwpoint although offering interesting points is explicitly partisan it its veiw point offering little in balanced argument.it comes from the school of micheal moore school of politacal documentary making .the argument it puts forward that we are becoming a police state with making open comparisons to nazi germany without looking at the many differences . the evidence presented is sinister enough but unbalanced and biased ,so in the end becomes unconvincing .