4 thoughts on “My Favorite Alan Clarke Films”

1. I’ll save talking about Alan Clarke’s best films until you do your next post on him.

   Instead, here are some other BBC plays/films directed by Clarke that are on youtube.

   To Encourage the Others (1972)
   Penda’s Fen (1974)
   Christine (1987)
   Road (1987)

   Also:
   George’s Room (1967) – This only lasts half an hour.
   Under the Age (1972) – This only lasts half an hour too.
   Horace (1972)
   Funny Farm (1975)

   Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire is also on youtube. It’s one of the three theatrical movies that Clarke directed.

   I watched Penda’s Fen. I found it quite perplexing. I didn’t really know what to think of it. Clarke also didn’t really understand the play. It has it’s fans though. There are some interesting scenes.

   I also watched his BBC short Christine. It’s obviously an experimental film. It blurs the line between fictional drama and documentary. It’s filmed in an ultra realistic style. There isn’t much plot or characterisation but there’s a lot of documentary realism. It was a bit too minimalist for my liking.

2. Alan Clarke has done a lot of great stuff Steve 🙂 I will check out his BBC work as well 🙂 As you probably know, Mike Leigh and the late Dennis Potter also started out at BBC’s Play for Today or at least, I believe it was that 🙂

3. The Firm now has a director’s cut and it’s brilliant. The directors cut got a DVD and blu ray release in Britain back in 16. The workprint of the Firm was found in Alan Clarke’s personal archives and the film was finally restored to the way he intended it. The Firm was heavily censored and cut by the BBC before it’s transmission. Clarke’s cut of the film included graphic violence. The BBC said the graphic violence was unfit for broadcast and it was cut out.
   The BBC’s censorship totally ruined the film and tragically the censored BBC version was the only version of the film that the public knew for decades. The directors cut reinstates the graphic violence and it completely transforms the film. It also transforms the character of Bex and makes Yeti’s action towards Bex at the end of the film justified. These changes turn the film into a powerful and phenomenal drama. I think the directors cut of The Firm is Alan Clarke’s mastepiece and is even better than Scum and Made In Britain which is really saying a lot! I highly recommend the directors cut of The Firm. It really is a must see. It’s on youtube. Type in “The Firm 1989 directors cut uncensored” on youtube and it’s the first video that will appear. It’s an age restricted video. It definitely needs to go in your watchlist.

4. I had a feeling there was more to that great film that met the eye and your knowledge about that proves me right 🙂 I have to check that out right away because Alan Clarke was truly an unsung voice in the realm of great then contemporary British directors (others were Ken Russell, Nicolas Roeg, Mike Leigh and later on, Alex Cox and Terence Davies – the only reason I left Ken Loach out is because with the exception of Kes, some of his best work did not come until the 90’s and beyond). Sad that Alan Clarke could not have lived longer. I am sure he would have been thrilled to see the directors cut of The Firm see the light of day 🙂