Rollicking good fun

Rating: 7/10 (2 May 2020)

This film must have one of the best soundtracks of all time!
I was a teenager living through those times, tuning in to Caroline, Luxembourg and others, so I found it a faithful reflection of the spirit of the pirate radio phenomenon, if not actually adhering strictly to the facts.
I have a lot of sympathy for my parents' generation, as the transition was fast and brutal. We used to listen to classical music, the crooners and of course the wonderful radio comedy served up by the Goons, Tommy Handley, Round the Horn, etc. The opening to "Listen With Mother" struck an immediate chord - they were gentle relief in a world recovering from the consecutive cataclysms of world war.
Then suddenly we got rock'n'roll, then pop, then progressive rock. The best was still extremely melodic, but the speed and sound volume were turned up sharply.
But it wasn't just the music. Swearing, pre-marital sex (WWII had helped to spread those) and a certain amount of anarchy and disrespect for any kind of authority also proliferated. It was a lot for adults brought up on self-discipline and politeness to take in.
Unlike the film, the government of the time was the Labour Party (history has shown that 'parties of the workers' have a greater tendency towards totalitarian control than conservatives). And the opening up of the radio waves - bear in mind we'd only recently come out of wartime censorship - did occur, by popular demand, without any pirate ships sinking. We can thank pirate radio for that!
So just immerse yourself in the spirit of the times, a marvelous soundtrack and some very funny moments aboard The Boat That Rocked!