The only reason for seeing this film was the allure of Mike Hodges direction. Mr. Hodges is a director that has always delivered. On those merits, alone, we went to see the film, and frankly, even if the film has it's Hodges style, it is an obscure and enigmatic look at the English underground, but a confused look, at that. The screen play by Trevor Preston doesn't make it clear either.
If Mr. Hodges was going for symbolism, he certainly got it. At the end of the movie, things are still not clarified and they remain a puzzle in our minds. One never learns, for instance, about the relationship between Will and Helen. The fact that Helen is an older woman, is in contrast with a much younger Will; it makes us wonder: was she his mother, or was she his lover, or none of the above? (Of course, we realized it was the second choice!)
The reason for Will going away, also, is never fully understood. We assume he was a wanted man, but whatever made him go is never found out. In fact, the character of Boad, at the beginning of the film in the famous rape scene, is gratuitously presented. What was the reason for the buggery? It is highly unlikely that such thing would happen in real life in that circle, even a sick one, where Boad inhabits. Maybe it could be interpreted as the way the country was buggered by higher forces into going to a no-win conflict?
Clive Owens' Will is hard to get to like. He is a man on a mission, once he knows the fate his brother Davey suffered, but before that, his 'good guy' front doesn't make much sense, for a hard core criminal. Charlotte Rampling's Helen doesn't fare much better. She's only in a couple of scenes; it's clear she and Will are through and it's a cop out at the end that she could even contemplate going away with him, at all!
Malcom McDowell has only a few scenes. His confrontation at the end with Will doesn't add drama to the story. We know that he has to die, but Will hesitates in doing so, until he thinks otherwise. Jonathan Rhys Meyers' Davey is only seen at the beginning of the film. We don't care for him from the start. There's a couple of scenes with Sylvia Syms, who is not seen much in films these days.
With all that in mind, I still will go to see another Mike Hodges film, even a flawed Mike Hodges one, because this man has a vision. He has a panache for presenting his stories, we might like them a great deal, or not as much, but Mr. Hodges will never bore the viewer.
For a very balanced account of the film, there's an excellent comment by "lambs" among the viewers that have sent opinions in this forum. Read it!
If Mr. Hodges was going for symbolism, he certainly got it. At the end of the movie, things are still not clarified and they remain a puzzle in our minds. One never learns, for instance, about the relationship between Will and Helen. The fact that Helen is an older woman, is in contrast with a much younger Will; it makes us wonder: was she his mother, or was she his lover, or none of the above? (Of course, we realized it was the second choice!)
The reason for Will going away, also, is never fully understood. We assume he was a wanted man, but whatever made him go is never found out. In fact, the character of Boad, at the beginning of the film in the famous rape scene, is gratuitously presented. What was the reason for the buggery? It is highly unlikely that such thing would happen in real life in that circle, even a sick one, where Boad inhabits. Maybe it could be interpreted as the way the country was buggered by higher forces into going to a no-win conflict?
Clive Owens' Will is hard to get to like. He is a man on a mission, once he knows the fate his brother Davey suffered, but before that, his 'good guy' front doesn't make much sense, for a hard core criminal. Charlotte Rampling's Helen doesn't fare much better. She's only in a couple of scenes; it's clear she and Will are through and it's a cop out at the end that she could even contemplate going away with him, at all!
Malcom McDowell has only a few scenes. His confrontation at the end with Will doesn't add drama to the story. We know that he has to die, but Will hesitates in doing so, until he thinks otherwise. Jonathan Rhys Meyers' Davey is only seen at the beginning of the film. We don't care for him from the start. There's a couple of scenes with Sylvia Syms, who is not seen much in films these days.
With all that in mind, I still will go to see another Mike Hodges film, even a flawed Mike Hodges one, because this man has a vision. He has a panache for presenting his stories, we might like them a great deal, or not as much, but Mr. Hodges will never bore the viewer.
For a very balanced account of the film, there's an excellent comment by "lambs" among the viewers that have sent opinions in this forum. Read it!