When Noble Characters and Positive Realism Shine

A look at some British films and TV shows reveals glimmers of light through the darkness of history.

Lobby card for the British film "The Mission" (1986). The film depicts the Jesuits' work with the Guarani people in South America. MovieStillsDB

In the televised BBC drama about English social classes “Upstairs, Downstairs,” often, the noblest characters are those who faithfully perform their “downstairs” servant roles for “upstairs” people, who are, at times, quite ignoble. Surprisingly and refreshingly, honor and inner nobility do not require pedigree or power. This revelation, like a ray of truth, shines through the fiction.

Nico Mirallegro (C) plays one of the "downstairs" staff in the TV series "Upstairs Downstairs." MovieStillsDB