Hey there folks – at the invitation of the Vanderbilt Film Studies Program I’ll be introducing the brilliant Red Riding Trilogy this Saturday at The Belcourt here in Nashville:
Gareth and I were big fans of the Riding films – you can check out our interview with the RR scriptwriter Tony Grisoni below; if you’re a lover of well crafted and dark thrillers I can’t recommend them highly enough!
The Film Talk Interviews Red Riding Scriptwriter Tony Grisoni
The problem I have with “dark thrillers” on the whole is they're above criticism. If the subject matter is dark enough and “well made” enough you can get away with any ole stupidity and basic flaws in the story or film itself. eg. a group of “powerful crooks” clinking glasses saying things like “To the North, where WE can do what we want!”
It all might be framed as a (confused) modern day fairytale (when it suits it), but the gritty realism doesn't gel with the unrealism elsewhere. Dragging out the Yorkshire Ripper as a sub-plot to mask the more far fetched aspects of the proceedings is almost immoral. And whoever responsible for casting needs a stern telling-to if they think “the real baddie” doesn't stick out like a sore thumb after the first movie.
I enjoyed a lot of the Red Riding trilogy, but it doesn't deserve the universal unguarded praise it gets. It's great to see things that aren't “Hollywood blockbusters” getting attention, but that isn't enough to give it a clean sweep in my opinion.
I hear what you're saying Stanley – i 'spose it could sound like damning with faint praise – though I really do think that people who enjoy the genre, (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, PRIME SUSPECT etc.), would love RED RIDING.
Re: flaws in the pics = it's true they films are not perfect – but as UK television drama goes, (they were produced for Channel 4 and I screened them on a TV), think they're almost as good as it gets, (no EDGE OF DARKNESS though ;)
p.s. I worked in Yorkshire for a spell and the “we do what we want” bit seemed pretty realistic to me! ;) (ahh…it's grim up north as they say!)
They're better than being strapped to a chair like Alex DeLarge and made sit through a Michael Bay expo. A lot better in fact, so it's not like I don't think they're quite good/ almost very good. But they're just not on a par with the top-level consistency of Prime Suspect or other cut-above UK drama at its best -in any genre. (I didn't see Edge of Darkness, but heard good things about it… not sure it's my cup of tea to go there though).
The attitude of the 'big boys' might be spot-on, but the presentation smacks of telling not showing. I think most of the three movies depend on the viewer piecing together a lot of 'real life' hearsay and half-read Daily Mail gossip about the era and location rather than showing anything much in the way of believable threading.
It shocks with the central idea of a serial killer preying on children, then hides the silliness underneath that awful and uncriticisable notion.
I would urge anyone reading to go see them (Saturday at The Belcourt if possible) then tell me I'm wrong. The first is probably the best one though, so if it hasn't grabbed you by then or if you're feeling bad enough by the end of that don't feel obliged to watch the rest.
I've got the entire trilogy save in my Netflix queue. I've just got to wait until they release these puppies on DVD.
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