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Adam Curtis's 'Shifty': Unmasking New Labour's Dome Disillusionment

7/9/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Adam Curtis's documentary "Shifty" takes a sharp look at New Labour's Millennium Dome, exposing its inability to represent a unified national identity. With striking surreal montages, Curtis delves into the disillusionment and fragmentation of post-Thatcher Britain, contrasting the Dome's empty optimism with Alexander McQueen's bold fashion, ultimately unearthing the deep societal decay and complicity in its downfall.

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Story summary

Adam Curtis's documentary "Shifty" takes a sharp look at New Labour's Millennium Dome, exposing its inability to represent a unified national identity. With striking surreal montages, Curtis delves into the disillusionment and fragmentation of post-Thatcher Britain, contrasting the Dome's empty optimism with Alexander McQueen's bold fashion, ultimately unearthing the deep societal decay and complicity in its downfall.