Dissent & Disruption: Alan Clarke at the BBC

[MichaelB]

Yeah, I saw that - it seems to be part of a series, since a previous avatar of his featured Sight & Sound's former editor Nick James. I wonder who's next?

Anyway, it's not a very good representation of me prepping Orphans (I'd forgotten just how much of a gutbusting laugh riot that film is), unless it's supposed to catch me in mid-furrowed-brow concentration as I try to transcribe a particularly colloquial bit of Glaswegian for the subtitles. Striking the right balance between accuracy and necessarily rapid readability was a challenge and a half, but I'm very very pleased with the end result.

[ex-cowboy]

Rewatched Elephant last night and afterwards watched the extra with viewers calling in to give their views and I noticed that several of them made reference to their apparently being no indication that the events were in Northern Ireland. However right at the beginning of Elephant is a quote explicitly mentioning the 'Troubles' as being the Elephant in our living rooms. Neither Danny Boyle or Alan Clarke made reference to this. In fact Clarke is asked to explain the title by the host at the beginning of the show. It also reminded me of the Harmony Korine quote about seeing Elephant for the first time and not being aware of the subject matter until someone shouted at him (though his anecdote may need to be taken with a pinch of salt). Finally Gus Van Sant (who apparently learnt of the film via Korine) also stated that he didn't know that the title referred to 'the Elephant in the living room', but had rather assumed it referred to the Buddhist(?) parable about blind men touching an elephant and all coming to different conclusions as to what it was. All of this leads me to the question of whether that card at the beginning of the programme was added after the initial broadcast?

[Gregor Samsa]

This excellent set got a reissue this year, albeit without Road or the Half-Hour Stories from the 2016 version.

[charal]

I got that and I was able to satisfy my curiosity by watching ROAD on YouTube so I didn’t feel left out.

[beamish14]

This excellent set got a reissue this year, albeit without Road or the Half-Hour Stories from the 2016 version.

Even without the wonderful Road, it’s still the best Blu-Ray set I have ever encountered

Now, onto a Dennis Potter box of similar scope…?

[MichaelB]

Dennis Potter has horrendous music-rights challenges, which is why such a box set has yet to emerge (despite it being such a glaringly obvious project), and may well never do so.

[Peacock]

That’s frustrating re Potter… which titles have music issues?

I’m kicking myself over this reissued Clarke set now. I stupidly never bought the limited edition then once it went oop I was close to ordering it for a massive mark-up from scalpers (as it was still good value per film!) but then later held off when I saw it was being reissued… but I didn’t realise til now it would be dropping films from the limited edition. Is that due to rights issues?

[MichaelB]

The famous ones. If Alan Clarke was renowned for his Steadicam studies of people walking, so Potter was renowned for introducing a brilliantly apposite but pre-existing and third-party-owned song into a crucial part of his dramas, sometimes even lip-synced by the actors (thus making substitution impossible).

Which works brilliantly onscreen, but because the rights were only originally cleared for broadcast they post a large and expensive headache for anyone wishing to release Potter on video.

[beamish14]

Dennis Potter has horrendous music-rights challenges, which is why such a box set has yet to emerge (despite it being such a glaringly obvious project), and may well never do so.

I figured. Tender is the Night and Blackeyes are the two big ones that have never had any kind of home video release, with the former being his only North American television production. I’d love to have them both in HD, and to see the theatrical version of the latter that was prepared (and maybe never commercially released?)

[zedz]

Dennis Potter has horrendous music-rights challenges, which is why such a box set has yet to emerge (despite it being such a glaringly obvious project), and may well never do so.

I figured. Tender is the Night and Blackeyes are the two big ones that have never had any kind of home video release, with the former being his only North American television production. I’d love to have them both in HD, and to see the theatrical version of the latter that was prepared (and maybe never commercially released?)

I think the "theatrical" version of Blackeyes is what screened in New Zealand. We got a drastically cut down version, at any rate. As I recall it was screened as two episodes (i.e. under two hours: feature length). It wasn't particularly coherent, but that may have been the case for the full-length version too!

[TechnicolorAcid]

I just finished up watching Elephant (my first Alan Clarke film so this was certainly a shocking introduction to say the least) for the 1989 Project and one thing that I don’t think anyone has mentioned yet as a key element to the film is how empty everything is. Locations stripped down to their bare essentials devoid of barely any other life outside of the murderer(s) and victim and in my eyes it almost feels like Clarke’s film is actively denying any plausible retreat to look away from the violence and forcing you to address the “Elephant” in the room. That’s all I wanted to say and I’m excited to dive into Clarke’s filmography even if this is very different from the rest of his films (so I hear).

[Matt]

There are a couple of Clarke projects that are similar in style, at least in part: the immediate predecessors to Elephant, Road and Christine, but yes, it's a singular entry in his filmography. Hell of a start to diving into it!

[zedz]

Thematically, Contact is obviously related, and also has a similar distance from its characters and the use of extended, mostly wordless "procedural" sequences. (As does, much earlier and in a very different context, the shattering Diane.)

[TechnicolorAcid]

Thank you both for your recommendations, greatly appreciated.

[knives]

Since you’re working for the year lists a truly different though no less great film is The Firm. It’s a sort of opposite look at violence filled with expression from the characters allowing the audience, or at least myself, to peel away from the story and see the broken psychotic within.

[TechnicolorAcid]

Since you’re working for the year lists a truly different though no less great film is The Firm. It’s a sort of opposite look at violence filled with expression from the characters allowing the audience, or at least myself, to peel away from the story and see the broken psychotic within.

I am indeed planning on watching it for the ‘89 year’s project. Thanks for reminding me that’s on there.

[therewillbeblus]

The Firm is the best of what I’ve seen. A fabulous film

[TechnicolorAcid]

Do people recommend the director’s cut or the broadcast version?

[swo17]

The cuts are all due to censorship, and if you watch the director's cut you can tell what was removed because of jumps in picture quality

[TechnicolorAcid]

The cuts are all due to censorship, and if you watch the director's cut you can tell what was removed because of jumps in picture quality

Thanks Swo.

[Ogre Kovacs]

The cuts are all due to censorship, and if you watch the director's cut you can tell what was removed because of jumps in picture quality

While the cuts were due to censorship, the broadcast version does differ from more than just cuts. Some scenes were re-arranged and there are scenes unique to the broadcast version. I watched the director's cut as my first watch, but there is value in watching the broadcast version as well. It is such a great movie and at just over an hour, watching two cuts is not too strenuous.

This set was a blind buy for me and is hands down one of my greatest purchases. The hit to miss ratio is incredible and the misses are all still at least interesting. Alan Clarke went from unknown to me to being one of my absolute favorites. I went through a chronological re-watch about a year ago, this time with my SO who absolutely loved it also.

I wanted to do write ups of each film and how my thoughts have changed (or not changed) between viewings, but alas life happens. So many stand-outs already listed on this page alone (Diane, Contact, Christine), but also Horace, Goodnight Albert, The Last Train Through Hardcastle (although I seem alone in this selection), The Hallelujah Handshake, Penda's Fen. Sorry I could just keep listing films. Clarke's ability to follow and exist with characters and situations, including warts and all, is second to none. Some of the most humanistic and powerful filmmaking I have seen. Definitely a huge gratitude to the BFI and this board (Nick in particular) for drawing my attention to this incredible director.

[Big Ben]

I just finished up watching Elephant (my first Alan Clarke film so this was certainly a shocking introduction to say the least) for the 1989 Project and one thing that I don’t think anyone has mentioned yet as a key element to the film is how empty everything is. Locations stripped down to their bare essentials devoid of barely any other life outside of the murderer(s) and victim and in my eyes it almost feels like Clarke’s film is actively denying any plausible retreat to look away from the violence and forcing you to address the “Elephant” in the room. That’s all I wanted to say and I’m excited to dive into Clarke’s filmography even if this is very different from the rest of his films (so I hear).

I would like to add that you might get something out of the commentary that Mark Kermode and Danny Boyle made for Elephant. For someone born half a world away in the boonies learning about The Troubles was a deeply unpleasant but informative experience. I don't know your personal history in relation to UK history but Elephant made a lot more sense to me once I had a better understanding of Clarke's intention behind making Elephant and why people justifiably have strong feelings about it to this day.

[TechnicolorAcid]

Big Ben, I did indeed know about the history (though not through any personal connection) and it most definitely helped my appreciation of it a lot more.
Anyways I watched the broadcast version of The Firm and it’s a wonderful film. A damningly cynical condemnation of the violence that comes from football hooliganism, Clarke’s film starts off as a dark comedy though slowly but surely Oldman’s coach is stripped of his honor that we’re presented with at the start until he’s turned into a man on the brink, yearning for a vengeance that can only shed blood and ruining his life in the process, it’s a dog eat dog world they say. Though his building rage could also be his attempt to regain some control, grasp onto some form of masculinity, perhaps to please his father or prove his authority. And while I won’t spoil the magnificent last 10 minutes, Clarke knows that Oldman’s violence will only lead to a continuation of blood spill but instead of a melancholic final ending signaling that, Clarke ends with drunken singing removed from any catharsis or growth. I’m not a British historian so perhaps there is some background I’m missing that will make me enjoy this even more but as is, this is a damn good film. Oh also, now I’m officially level to level with the number one Alan Clarke fan so consider me the #3 Clarke fan.