Inside The Uprising: Why Andrew Garfield's medieval ploughman role fits the paradigm shift perfectly

In Paul Greengrass' upcoming action-period drama film The Uprising, Andrew Garfield transforms into a humble medieval ploughman who unintentionally becomes the face of a ferocious revolt against the tyranny of King Richard II.

Set against the true events of the 1381 English Peasants' Revolt, the upcoming film is rooted in a strong theme of an ordinary individual confronting a powerful system.

While The Uprising puts the actor in unfamiliar territory of medieval England, the paradigm shift fits perfectly, aligning with many of Garfield's own themes and beliefs, explored in his past projects. Despite becoming globally recognizable as Spider-Man, Garfield moved towards projects that allowed him to explore faith, morality, creativity and personal conviction. From Tick, Tick...Boom! and Hacksaw Ridge, the actor has chosen projects built around identity and rebellion, which is why Greengrass' upcoming drama feels like an extension of his past films.

Andrew Garfield transforms into a medieval farmer in The Uprising

In The Uprising, Andrew Garfield plays an everyman farmer grieving the deaths of his wife and children, who died in the Black Death seven years ago. The first official trailer offers the first look at Garfield's Ploughman, who is frustrated when the King's men come looking for even more tax money to fund foreign wars, announcing that the King's word is the law. In a voiceover that opens the trailer, Ploughman announces that he is no soldier, no priest, just an ordinary farmer.

The Uprising transforms Andrew Garfield's character from an ordinary farmer to an accidental hero when he grows weary and decides to stand up to the King's men in a moment of passion. That moment, fueled by pure anger and frustration, comes after Ploughman realizes that the 'land is broken' and they are 'forced to work beyond what our souls can take.' Once he announces that enough is enough, the King's men retaliate, setting the stage for the 1381 English Peasants' Revolt, which the film will explore in length.

In an interview with Esquire, Andrew Garfield reflected on The Uprising and how the film deeply resonates with him. The actor revealed that he is often occupied with thoughts about how to live in this ''very polarised, financially differentiated, resource-scarce time,'' an extension of themes explored in the film:

“That’s what The Uprising’s about. How do we free ourselves from an oppressive society and a set of systems and structures that doesn’t want us free?''

A still from the trailer (Image via YouTube/Focus Features)

While Ploughman becomes an accidental hero in the upcoming film, it's certainly clear that he is cut to play the part. Left with nothing after his wife and child's deaths, the farmer vows to stand against the abusers of power. Despite being a medieval setting, the actor's comments suggest that the movie will touch upon universal themes, which will surely resonate with a contemporary audience:

“The truth of that period of time was that there were brutal conditions for working-class people, brutal taxation post-plague, incompetence in government, abusive practices, with the underclass being seen as sub-human creatures from the perspective of those in power.”

Andrew Garfield capped off the interview by reflecting that The Uprising is an awakening, not just for Ploughman but for ''every living thing'' who is determined to put the world right. The themes of justice and healing in a fractured world naturally resonated with Garfield, who hopes the upcoming film will inspire audiences to reflect on these possibilities.

In addition to Andrew Garfield, The Uprising stars Jamie Bell as John Ball, Tom Hollander as Sir Robert Hales, Cosmo Jarvis as Wat Tyler, Woody Norman as Richard II of England, Katherine Waterston as Joan of Kent, Stanley Townsend, Sky Yang, Jamie Maclachlan and Dónal Finn.