What are we being told here?

[TarPot]

Hello all, my first post.
I've just seen Dead Man's Shoes and like most everyone else, I was completely blown away.
This film is real.
The performance from Paddy Considine was truly frightening. Again, it is real. It is not frightening in a movie type way, but in a way I believed this was a real person. If you know what I mean?
I've seen revenge movies before-Death Wish, The Exterminator and more recently, the obvious-Kill Bill.
But this film is totally different, it makes you think and feel.
The realistic/documentary style of shooting, the realistic dialogue are all in place to show reality.
What I want to ask is, are we meant to be given some kind of message here?
I mean Kill Bill is a flash mess of a film(although it is entertaining), with no meaning apart from entertainment.
Is this film giving us some social commentary?
Does anyone know of Shane and Paddy's thoughts on this? If these questions are answered on the dvd, forgive me. I'm yet to buy it, but will asap. I only see it on rental.
I have my own opinions on all this but ask everyone here to share their opinions and discuss our thoughts on this truly great British film.
One that I'm sure I will watch many times for years to come.

[jtrodreigez]

I think your answer lies at the end of the film, mainly in Richards speech to Mark. No one benefits from this revenge especially Richard, he knows in his own mind he has to do it but for what reasons? Because the bad guys deserve to die or cause he is so guilty about his own feelings for his brother when he was alive or for leaving him when he went into the army.

"look what you made me do" Richard is horrified really by his actions and believes he too has to die.
"i'm the monster now, i'm the beast." I found this ending amazing, sad but just in Richards fucked up morals. I have been in situations unbelievably similar to this film as i hung around with older guys from a young age and suffered similar things so i understand alot about what i think Paddy and Shane were trying to say, i hope so anyway.

"God will forgive them but i can't"

He can't forgive himself either.

[TarPot]

Hi jtrodreigez

I agree totally with what you have said.

But I'm refering more to the view of society the film shows.
The opinions of the film on the people of today (that alan bloke is far to old to be hanging round and doing drugs with these people), the drug scene in general, stuff like that.
What's do you think? Is it trying to tell us something about these things or is it just a film.
I can't put my finger on it, but I think there is more than meets the eye here.
Or I may just feel this way because I can't get the film out of my head and have been telling anyone who listen to go and buy it.

[jtrodreigez]

I don't think alan is too old as in most groups theres normally an older guy there, one of my best friends is 10 yrs older than me. As far as the society thing i think Shane was just looking at what he's seen in his own life. I also have seen some horrible things and the fact is people are fucking nasty, the whole thug culture nowadays is getting out of hand and i think this film shows a light side of it. Go out at night and look on most street corners you will see gangs of little cap wearing bastards that would probably do alot worse things than in the film. I hope this film will be watched by people like that and maybe make them think about their actions.
I am no saint and have done bad things to people in my younger days and this film made me embarrassed for the arsehole i used to be, mainly trying to fit in with the older group i was with.

I don't know whether any of this is true for the film it's just my take on it. It is one of the most realistic looks at certain parts of british culture i have ever seen whitch makes it more chilling.

An example, how many of us know someone very similar to the bad guys in this film or for that matter how many people know someone like Morell? scary shit.

[DTL]

Wait, i don't get it.

So internal affairs knew the cops were on to them all along?

[jtrodreigez]

piss off BLT you twat, we can have semi normal discussions in some rooms.

[lasthexaudio]

Don't shout at him. It's not his fault.

[jtrodreigez]

accept my heartfelt apology. I doff my cap shire.

[lasthexaudio]

He's a simple chap and these are simple times. Treat him gently and he will reward you greatly.

[jtrodreigez]

this place is full of simpletons and i don't see any reward from that, sonny.

[DTL]

Not if I don't see you first!

[duncan]

I've just seen DMS for the first time, and really loved it. Particularly the ending. SM films always give me a chill, just when you think you've got a character figured out, something inside them snaps. In 24/7 I was thinking 'decent man' then the ending happened, in a room for romeo brass I though 'a bit weird but harmless enough' then the ending happened. In DMS I was thinking 'mans man dishes out some well deserved revenge' then the ending happened. The judgemental side to this character that drove him to kill the six men, must previously have been turned on his own brother. The guilt from this, in the end, over took the anger. His sense of judgement was enevitably turned on himself. 'Why should six men die for being shit to my brother, when I was just as shit to him?' Great ending. Powerful stuff. My mind was racing all night. Anyway typed 'shane meadows' into google when I got in from work, and here I am. Nice site too. Thanks SM for making great drama. I'm off to buy a 2cv...

[inny]

every village has its Morrell in fact mines got dozens of them some worse an some more simple, the scary thing about morrell is he's articulate and not retarded in every sense but to hang around with twelve year olds some doit cos their mental age but morrelll had ultierior(spelt wrong) motives there the ones to watch. we call em peter pans where i live.