my former cambridge contemporary simon heffer and today a writer and journalist and have put forward the theory that and just a british film maker in the eighty be often critical of what they call thatcher britain and the ealing comedy be intend a satire on attlee britain and the britain which have come into be after the labour victory in the 1945 general election . this theory be presumably not intend to apply to and say and kind heart and coronet ( which be and if anything and a satire on the edwardian upper class ) or to the ladykillers or the lavender hill mob and both of which may contain some satire but be not political in nature . it can and however and be apply to most of the other film in the series and especially passport to pimlico . pimlico be and or at least be in the forty and a predominantly work class district of london and set on the north bank of the thames about a mile from victoria station . it be not quite correct to say and a have often be say and that the film be about pimlico declare itself independent of britain . what happen be that an ancient charter come to light prove that in the fifteenth century the area be cede by king edward iv to the duchy of burgundy . this mean that and technically and pimlico be an independent state and and have be for nearly five hundred year and irrespective of the wish of it inhabitant . the government promise to pass a special act of parliament to rectify the anomaly and but until the act receive the royal assent the area remain outside the united kingdom and british law do not apply . because pimlico be not subject to british law and the landlord of the local pub be free to open whatever hour he choose and local shopkeeper can sell whatever they please to whomever they please and unhindered by the ration law . when other trader start move into the area to sell their good in the street and the british authority be horrify by what they regard a legalised black marketeering and seal off the area to try and force the burgundians and a the people of pimlico have rename themselves and to surrender . many of the ealing comedy have a their central theme the idea of the little man take on the system and either a an individual a happens in the man in the white suit or the lavender hill mob and or a part of a large community a happens in whisky galore or the titfield thunderbolt . the central theme of passport be that of ordinary men and woman take on bureaucracy and government impose regulation which seem to be an increasingly important feature of life in the britain of the forty . the film particular target be the ration system . during the war the system have be accept by most people a a necessary sacrifice in the fight against nazism and but it become increasingly politically controversial when the government try to retain it in peacetime . it be a major factor in the grow unpopularity of the attlee administration which have be elect with a large majority in 1945 and and organisation such a the british housewife league be set up to campaign for the abolition of ration . i can not agree with the reviewer who state that the main target of the film satire be the spiv ( black marketeers ) and who play a relatively minor part in the action and or the housewife league and who do not appear at all . the satire be very much target at the bureaucrat and who be portray either a have a rule for rule sake mentality or a desire to pass the buck and avoid have to take any action at all . i suspect that if the film be to be make today it would have a different end with pimlico remain independent a a british version of monaco or san marino . ( indeed and i suspect that today this concept would probably serve a the basis of a tv sitcom rather than a film ) . in 1949 and however and four year after the end of the war and the film maker be keen stress patriotism and british identity and so the film end with pimlico be reabsorb into britain . one of the best known line from the film be we always be english and we always will be english and it just because we be english that be stick up for our right to be burgundians . there be a sharp contrast between the rather heartless attitude of officialdom with the common sense and tolerance and good humour of the cockney of pimlico and all of which be present a be quintessentially british characteristic . most of the action take place during a summer drought and swelter heatwave and but in the last scene and after pimlico have rejoin the uk the temperature drop and it start to pour with rain . global warming may have alter thing slightly and but for many year part of be british be the ability to hold the belief and whatever statistic might say to the contrary and that britain have an abnormally wet climate . the ability to make joke about that climate be equally important . there be a good performance from stanley holloway a arthur pemberton and the grocer and small time local politician who become the prime minister of free pimlico and and an amuse cameo from margaret rutherford a a batty history professor . in the main and however and this be and appropriately enough for a film about a small community pull together and an example of ensemble act with no real star performance but with everyone make a contribution to an excellent film . it lack the ill will and rancour of many more recent satirical film and but it wit and satire be no less effective for all that . it remain one of the funny satire on bureaucracy ever make and and with the possible exception of kind heart and coronet be my personal favourite among the ealing comedy . positive .