why I love that film

[elrina]

I tried to traduce a paper I wrote at 17, just after seen Dead man's shoes.

There was in my heart an open scar that never made some blood. I had been a three monkey, who don’t want to see anything, or heard anything, and please, don’t tell anything. So stupid, son invisible… And my own brother rape, this indecency fire what about nobody spoke, because they were all afraid by this little death, the awfull killing of our childhood, trampled, ridiculed, that preyed without god. Something in me told that this blood may soil all around me. And that bad, all that bad that adults hidden to me was swelling up like a poison, because they thought I was to young to understand anything! Dreadful acts were discussing in the kitchen when children are supposed to be on the bed… Words, always, that cancer of an intelligent people who try to forget had been forbidden to me. I discovered for the first time that what you don’t say is more terrifying than true because imagination created in my head dreadful pictures.

And then, years later, I had been 17. I set in a dark room to see a more dark film and cried, because it was talking about all I never done for my brother. Before Dead man shoes, no more films made me cry, even the more sad. But that time, listening the music of the end of the movie, I became again that little girl who didn’t know how to survive after the dolour. That film, that second, that hurt, was victory of the picture on my words. Force of a protagonist who made justice, who repent then but who don’t let the things happened like if it was normal, how don’t let his brother dies.


That tears are here again, four years later, each time I see that film, an I love it.

[GR]

Damn. That's quite a story...

One of the things that got me about 'Dead Man's Shoes' is how it deals with small-town life, and the things that can go on between people when everyone else is looking the other way.

Another thing is that some folks have said DMS is a great film to watch regarding the topic of bullying -- which is, unfortunately, an issue that's close to my heart: From the ages of 8 to 15, I was on the receiving end of a lot of harassment in school (mostly taunts like "Come on, baby, you know you want it" and cracks about my weight, etc.); and it didn‘t help that my older sister would antagonize me nearly every day at home. So that may help explain my own emotional connection with this film -- I was so moved by its unflinching portrayal of bullying (the thugs' treatment of Anthony), as well as the depth of the relationship between the brothers.

[elrina]

Yes, I think that Shane Meadows done a film in wich everybody could recognise himeself, ecause he speeks abouts things of life with a realistic way. Some who, like you, known drug's world,, some who, like me, who saw his brother in danger, and probably some who never had known a brother but who realy wanted to had!

Two days ago, I saw it again, and there were young people in my back (I mean, not so young, probably... 18) who were chating during the film (argh!) and said, at the end when the body is on a 'case' (it's not the good worls, did you have it? It's an object you take to put your clothes when you go in travel) and everybody drogaded ( you know what passage? Richard will kill the last one) so they were telling 'Hey, I was sure he was on that 'case' such a ridiculus film, we know what will happened all the time'. They were so... I don't know a good world, but they lived in a perfect word, where films are films, they could not understand how that film was realistic. But when Richard dies, here everybody shut off there mouth back me, because that was not what the thought he will do, even if it was the only way for him. Then, when the go out, we heard a woman telling 'What fantastic is that we so a film violent, with blood, murdered, drug, but we don't feel it like that, it's more human'. And they were totally agree with her...

[jill]

Sure you'll love Romeo Brass when you get around to watching it GR.

[carolyn]

elrina said:

when the body is on a 'case' (it's not the good worls, did you have it? It's an object you take to put your clothes when you go in travel)

Elrina,

Yes "case" is the right word for what we put our clothes in when we go on holiday.

Carolyn x

[elrina]

:-) Pfiou!

[GR]

jill said:

Sure you'll love Romeo Brass when you get around to watching it GR.

It'll be the first import DVD I buy if I can get my hands on a region-free player, unless it gets a Region 1 release before then. ;D

But yeah, that's I like about Meadows' films -- whatever genre you think they might be (such as revenge thriller or coming-of-age tale), they ultimately transcend those trappings and tell human stories to which a lot of us (no matter where we're coming from) can relate on some level.

[Dave]

gr said:

jill said:

Sure you'll love Romeo Brass when you get around to watching it GR.

It'll be the first import DVD I buy if I can get my hands on a region-free player, unless it gets a Region 1 release before then. ;D

But yeah, that's I like about Meadows' films -- whatever genre you think they might be (such as revenge thriller or coming-of-age tale), they ultimately transcend those trappings and tell human stories to which a lot of us (no matter where we're coming from) can relate on some level.

You should do a search for your model of DVD player on the internet. You can usually find region 'hacks' for most players that make them multi-region. Usually its very simple, like putting in a certain sequence of numbers on the remote while the disc tray is open!

[GR]

My unit is a Mintek 1600, the newer version. I looked it up on both nerd-out.com and videohelp.com, but neither had any "hack" firmware or codes that I could use.

[sinbad1971]

I re-watched this again last night for about the 30th time after a fair break from it. One of the things that stands out for me is how it doesn't paint everything as Black and White. While its essentially a revenge movie I couldn't help feeling for Sonny and the gang regardless of the awful things they had done. I think all of them were remorseful for their actions, although its never actually said I think you get a sense of their remorse in the scene where Herbies first mentions "It was Anthonys brother man".

[GR]

Remorse, certainly, but also paranoia -- they may be aware they've done something wrong, but not to the extent that they feel they deserve whatever Richard does (or might do) to them. This, plus the genuine grief they feel whenever one of their own has been picked off, makes Sonny and his gang more human, and I admire that about the film.

[anonlytwin]

sinbad1971 said:

While its essentially a revenge movie I couldn't help feeling for Sonny and the gang regardless of the awful things they had done. I think all of them were remorseful for their actions, although its never actually said I think you get a sense of their remorse in the scene where Herbies first mentions "It was Anthonys brother man".

the section on meadows in the anthology of british directors (i think robert murphy is the editor) suggests that one of meaows most prominent qualities is his ability to induce likability and humanity into even the most dislikable characters... lifes a bit like that sometimes isn't it?