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Post by tonyyeboah on Mar 30, 2007 17:22:08 GMT
In Shane's interview for film four he goes on about this back story where the Combo character is mixed race.
What is the need for this. Can't he just be white?
I must admit i had zero idea of this supposed back story when i watched the movie.
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Post by Dave on Mar 30, 2007 17:34:00 GMT
The back-story seemed to arise from the fact that Stephen Graham himself is in fact mixed race. It makes for an interesting dynamic, and does give the ending a more charged dynamic.
I don't know if it was in the original script for the film that the character was mixed-race. It seems to have arisen from Shane's very organic working methods.
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Post by tonyyeboah on Mar 30, 2007 17:43:00 GMT
I just don't see the need for the back story. Just because Stephen Graham is mixed race doesn't mean that he can't play a convincing caucasian skin head. Nor does it need a story about some of his family being black to explain why he is confused and angry with Shimmies character.
The film speaks for itself. It doesn't need tenuous back stories to justify controversial themes
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Post by fattaxi on Mar 30, 2007 17:48:55 GMT
I find it an interesting back story its like the short film 'Skin Deep' you should search it out on ye olde youtube.
I think it adds so much more depth to the character other then him being a "conving caucasian Skin Head" asks so many more questions. Obviously it works, just look at the film.
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Post by PatrickCoyle on Mar 30, 2007 18:32:04 GMT
Stephen Graham talked about this at the London Film Festival. It was either in rehearsals or right before/early on in shooting that he decided he should tell Shane he's actually mixed race.
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Post by Dave on Mar 30, 2007 18:56:44 GMT
I just don't see the need for the back story. Just because Stephen Graham is mixed race doesn't mean that he can't play a convincing caucasian skin head. Nor does it need a story about some of his family being black to explain why he is confused and angry with Shimmies character. The film speaks for itself. It doesn't need tenuous back stories to justify controversial themes I definitely see where you're coming from, but I don't think it was a matter of being overly wary about the controversial subject, it just grew from Stephen's revelation to Shane about his own background, and rehearsals. This is how Shane's films have always worked. I am guessing that this was not a part of the original script, and therefore Shane wasn't trying to shy away from anything at any point. The subject arose and it was then decided that it would be an excellent thing to incorporate. The ending may have been very different originally, who knows? Dead Man's Shoes never had a clearly defined ending a when the project was started, it just developed from the preceding story. |
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Post by tonyyeboah on Mar 30, 2007 21:17:18 GMT
No-one in their right mind is gonna look at Stephen Graham in TIE and go' but he's mixed race'
It seems to me like they have concoted this tenuous backstory just in case it gets out that Graham is mixed race.
Personally I couldn't give a sh*t and I think the back story actually detracts from what is a very believable story
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Post by PatrickCoyle on Mar 30, 2007 21:37:40 GMT
It seems to me like they have concoted this tenuous backstory just in case it gets out that Graham is mixed race. You're probably right. If it got out that Graham is mixed race, The Sun would be all over it, wouldn't they? "SKINHEAD FILM STAR'S MIXED-RACE SHAME" I'm glad someone, either Shane or someone at Warp, realised this potential disaster and came up with the tenuous backstory!   |
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Post by Hyde on Mar 30, 2007 21:37:44 GMT
erm... what back story? watch the film... it says nothing about combo being mixed race... just because the actual actor said he is mixed raced in an interview means fuck all...
edit: i see shane mentioned this in an interview? (havnt seen it myself) hmmmm.... i dunno... well... i dunno...
just... idk i dont see what the big deal is...
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Post by Hyde on Mar 30, 2007 22:26:12 GMT
The back-story seemed to arise from the fact that Stephen Graham himself is in fact mixed race. It makes for an interesting dynamic, and does give the ending a more charged dynamic. I don't know if it was in the original script for the film that the character was mixed-race. It seems to have arisen from Shane's very organic working methods. Dave seems to have said it best, fucking blates. |
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Post by Dave on Mar 30, 2007 22:55:02 GMT
It seems to me like they have concoted this tenuous backstory just in case it gets out that Graham is mixed race. You're probably right. If it got out that Graham is mixed race, The Sun would be all over it, wouldn't they? "SKINHEAD FILM STAR'S MIXED-RACE SHAME" I'm glad someone, either Shane or someone at Warp, realised this potential disaster and came up with the tenuous backstory! I'm with Mr Coyle on this one.... I'm not sure what you even mean by saying: "It seems to me like they have concoted this tenuous backstory just in case it gets out that Graham is mixed race." Who in their right mind would kick up a fuss if it was later revealed that Mr Graham is mixed race? He's an actor, acting in any part he plays. The only people I can see who would be up in arms at such a revelation would be nutcase bone-heads who fully believe the misguided ideas of the Combo character. "He looked white, but then I find out his grandad was Jamaican!! He tricked me by not being black and thus exposing my bullshit prejudice is entirely based on skin colour". Everyone on the planet is of African descent. |
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Post by shanemeadows on Mar 31, 2007 10:13:15 GMT
I think you are clutching at straws a bit Tony here and I can't work out why you would come up with something so tenious as a tenious debate. Combo's background is not apparent in the film and to all intents and purposes the majority of people who see the film will never ever in a million years pick up anything else from simply watching it in the cinema. I left out any clues by choice for exactly 'those' reasons you state above but why on god's planet should I not be allowed to tell people who are interested how we arrived there mate?
Interviews are a chance for fans of the film to find out more in depth how we went about making and motivating each other on the film. If you don't want the film to be any more complex than when you watch it in the cinema, then the answer is simple!
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Post by GADGE! on Mar 31, 2007 14:58:29 GMT
"No-one in their right mind is gonna look at Stephen Graham in TIE and go' but he's mixed race' "
ONE MEMORY I HAVE FROM FILMING T.I.E WAS ONE DAY ME AND STEPHEN WERE GETTING A COFFE ON SET WHEN TWO SCHOOL GIRLS WALKED PAST AND SEEING THE FILM SET STARTED TALKING TO US. THEY WHERE ASKING ABOUT THE FILM AND ONE OF THE GIRLS KNOTICED THE FACT THAT STEVEN WAS INDEED MIXED RACE.
GADGE!
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Post by johartley on Mar 31, 2007 17:38:03 GMT
Id like to say also that my mother is of 'right mind' and she asked me was stephen mixed race or foreign??.
Tony quote from top........"Id like to say that in shanes interview he goes on about combo being mixed race..... blah blah blah...
can't he just be white"!
Thats so ignorant! Because he is NOT and that is the point...... its real!!!!!!
Tony, you do seem to hit the forum sometimes with a bitter tone, ive noticed it before. I cant work out why you contradict yourself so much in many forums, you seem aggresive in tone. At times pointing out the film is great, then finding faults to discuss. You looking for some attention maybe?? The forum is for discussion, i agree, and i dont expect everyone to love Shane and hang around down the back of his undies, but there is a way to ask questions as it might be insulting to a member of the cast!!!..... Its a very personnal subject and has affected Stephen in life personnally. Probably why the performance is so powerful.
I can asure you as someone who always see's both sides to a discussion, NEVER in one billion yrs would Shane make up a story as private as this to soften the blow for himself, you should know that, being a fan of his work....!
If he has the balls in the first place to tell a very close to home truthful story, then he is not going to try to pull any punches with a made up story.
The truth is, Shane cast stephen because he is a great british actor and at the audition, of which i was present, he blew all of us away. No-one else could of played COMBO! Stephen rang shane pissed on the nite he was cast, at 1 am, to be truthful about his background, taking the chance that maybe Shane would not want to use him, very brave of him really as he could of lost out!!
Its not a story to make the film sound better, or cover any other hidden agenda, its simply the truth, when asked about it in interviews the truth is also told, not many people in this industry have the integrity Shane has, i know! Sometimes life has stories that just have to be told.
Its not everyday people get up of their asse to try do something. They just talk about it instead!
Thats what seperates the strong from the weak.
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Post by ace5150 on Mar 31, 2007 21:23:57 GMT
Good answer Jo!
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