An early example of alan clarkes unbelievable genius. Bibliography kelly, richard ed, alan clarke london. And yet, it was one of the most powerful and disturbing films made by the bbc during the 1980s and there has been nothing like it since. It stars gary oldman, phil davis, charles lawson and steve mcfadden in his acting debut.
Thirtynine minutes of screen time, three lines of dialogue, eighteen killings. Here in the states, elephant is probably best known for inspiring the gus van sant film of the same title, though clarke s is head and shoulders the better movie, as well as one of the most inspired and morally committed uses of television to come out in the 1980s. According to the interview with him, which is also a feature on his dvd, he was made aware of alan clarkes movie by a friend. Trevor is a 16 year old, sometimesviolent skinhead with no regard for authority, and would rather spend his time stealing cars than sitting in the detention centre to which he is sent. Elephant is a 1989 british short film directed by alan clarke and produced by danny boyle. The inyourface films of alan clarke the new york times. Features an interview with filmmaker alan clarke, clips from scum, elephant, road and scum. Gus van sant borrowed the title from alan clarkes film of the same name, and thought that it referred to the chinese proverb about five blind men who were each led to a different part of an elephant.
Elephant 1988 is the most extreme example, a 16mm colour film of eighteen killings in northern ireland. You dont think of a loach or a leigh or a frears movie and think of adrenaline. Gus van sant titled his new movie about a portland high school that becomes host to a columbinelike atrocity elephant, in homage to the late british director alan clarkes movie about northern. Two films reflecting on the 1980s in northern ireland. Elephant tv short 1989 elephant tv short 1989 user. Alan clarke 28 october 1935 24 july 1990 was a television and film director, producer and writer, born in wallasey, merseyside, england. Please note that while this film may be base on actual. Alan john clarke 28 october 1935 24 july 1990 was an english television and film director. The firm is a 1989 british madefortelevision drama film directed by alan clarke and written by al hunter ashton for the bbc.
Comparison between elephant alan clarke, 1989 and elephant gus van sant, 2003. With paranoid park i thought this was an up for the film, since without it the movie would be desert dry. Critical appreciation of his work remains muted, considering him unjustly to be an ultrarealist, lacking in art and artifice. This is an exceptionally well made wednesday play from 1970 directed by the great alan clarke and written by veteran tv writer don shaw who, apart from turning in scripts for the likes of survivors, dangerfield and z cars, was also a great writer of military matters, for my money he was on a par with charles wood in that respect.
As part of blue undergrounds alan clarke collection, elephant shares disk space with clarkes final work, the firm, which is the only film in the set not to have much in the way of extras. Please let us know whats wrong so we can fix it asap. Van sants movie certainly declines to signal emotion or indemnify itself against charges of exploitation in the usual way. Essentially a compilation of eighteen murders on the streets of belfast, without explanatory narrative or characterisation and shot in a cold, dispassionate documentary style, the film succinctly captures the horror of sectarian killing. Alan clarke is a member of vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. Here in the states, elephant is probably best known for inspiring the gus van sant film of the same title, though clarkes is head and shoulders the better movie, as well as one of the most inspired and morally committed uses of television to come out in the 1980s. Elephant is a 2003 american drama film written, directed. Explore alan clarke s innovative use of steadicam with this exclusive video essay. At just 40 minutes, elephant is the shortest film in the collection but still boasts an excellent extra in the shape of a commentary track by producer danny boyle and critic mark kermode. No survey of the unregulated border between television and film is complete without a discussion of alan clarke, a true original among british tv directorsand probably of elephant, the roughly 40minute, minimalist artpieceslashexperimentalthriller that he directed for bbc northern ireland in 1988, two years before his death from lung cancer. David hare recalls clarke making an analogy between 1930s and 40s hollywood and the bbc as a place in which a director could do a lot of different work kelly, alan clarke, p. The title comes from the british director alan clarkes 1989 roughandready short film.
Elephant is the director gus van sants take on the murders that took place at columbine high school. With gary walker, bill hamilton, michael foyle, danny small. The film is based on the activities of the inter city firm billed as the inter city crew football firm of west ham united during the 1970s and 1980s. Elephant follows a similar narration to paranoid park with the loop concept. Along with ken loach poor cow and mike leigh high hopes, alan clarke was one of britains leading television and film producerdirectors in the 1970s and 80s, specializing in works of social realism, i. Elephant is without question alan clarkes bleakest film. The film is set in northern ireland during the troubles and its title comes from bernard maclavertys description of the conflict as the elephant in our living room a reference to the collective denial of the underlying social problems of northern ireland produced by bbc northern ireland, it first. Mix elephant by alan clarke with new slangby the shins. Most of clarkes output was for television rather than cinema, including work for the famous play strands the wednesday play and play for today. With tim roth, terry richards, bill stewart, eric richard.
Despite having come out of the remarkably fertile mid60s moment when british television fostered a generation of socially conscious, singularly prickly subversives ken loach, mike leigh, peter watkins, clarkes reputation rests primarily on three lateperiod tv dramas designed to test viewers. This film is loosely based on the events that took place on april 20, 1999 at columbine high school. Alan clarke at the bbc 19691989 is available on bfi bluray and dvd now. The films title is an overt reference to the alan clarke short film of the same name, the tracking shots of which van sant deliberately apes, but with more selfconscious flourishes like the films compression of time and occasional slow motion, van sant shows us some scenes multiple times from the perspectives of different people, his. Based on 18 reallife sectarian murders that took place in northern ireland, elephant presents a succession of onetake scenes in which anonymous men march. But it isnt violent in the way it presents those deaths. Rent the firm elephant 2004 starring gary oldman and lesley manville on dvd and bluray. The script is good, but clarkes ability to get utterly unique and completely authentic performances from all his actors elevates it to the same pantheon that nuts in may and withnail and i forever live in. A depiction of a series of violent killings in northern ireland with no clue as to exactly who is responsible. I dont think it would be too far to say that alan clarkes elephant falls somewhere close to the other end of the spectrum. Elephant is without question alan clarke s bleakest film.
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