The Firm (Alan Clarke, 1989)
Not to be confused with the Tom Cruise snoozefest, nor the vile British chart topper, Alan Clarke's BBC drama The Firm from 1989, depicting three rival football firms vying for the right to lead a nation of British thugs to the 1988 European Cup Championship in West Germany, was the business. Focusing mostly on Inter City Crew leader Gary Oldman's character Clive "Bex" Bissell, we follow his destructive path and his lasting effect on everyone around him. Over thirty years on, its ending is still as poignant today as it was back then.
Importantly, The Firm managed to shed an educational light on football
hooliganism in the eighties; it revealed that it wasn't just the poor and
feckless that were up for a ruck, but some of these violent participants
were both well educated and living afluent lifestyles during Thatcher's
Britain. The wide boys had moved up in the world and had become organised.
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| "Check the misfit, time to rip shit" |
Clarke's direction was brave enough to never back away from the violence that unfolded, but neither did he focus longer than necessary. He also let his cast improvise when needed, giving the film greater realism. When aired as part of Screen Two's series of made-for-TV dramas, the BBC made cuts to the film, and it hasn't been until recent years that a restored director's cut made the light of day. Not to side with Auntie, but I doubt the unedited violence would have gone down too well with the Beeb during that time. Some of the restored footage is surprisingly shocking - even by today's standards. Ironically, the broadcasted edited version already proved to be controversial anyway. Can't imagine how many 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' letters came flooding through Anne Robinson's box while she was presenting Points of View.
Peak performance by Oldman here, easily amongst his best to date. Without question, my favourite scene would be Bex casually popping over to his parents house and going into his old bedroom, full of old football memorobillia. We're given the most intimate side of Bex here; as we're privy to hallowed ground, while he pulls out his personal stash of weapons. What follows is Bex repeatedly bashing a retractable cosh on his bed while bellowing "Yeti!" and "Oboe", the names of his rivals, over and over again. Sterling supporting performances too by Lesley Manville playing Bex's better half, and her scenes with Oldman play out with sincere authenticism, which is unsurprising as they were real-life husband and wife at the time. Rival leader Yeti, played by Phil Davis is also superb; resembling a pony-tailed albino with a psychotic grimace, he's impossible to forget.
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| "Come into my bedroom (In my bedroom) Baby, don`t you know you belong to me (I've got something I want to do tonight, baby)" |
There's a veritable who's who of recognisable British actors here from some of the most popular British TV shows of all time. It's particularly funny knowing that Bex's crew includes: Charles Lawson, AKA Jim McDonald off Coronation Street; Steve McFadden, AKA Phil Mitchell off East Enders; Patrick Murray, AKA Mickey Pierce off Only Fools And Horses; and, the late Terry Sue-Patt, AKA Benny off Grange Hill.
Alan Clarke passed away the following year, but he left behind an important legacy in British drama that is still respected today. In 2009, Yob Culture aficionado, Nick Love directed a remake of The Firm that I always meant to check out, but for one reason or another, never did.
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