The Firm [DVD]

After watching this drama, one cannot be surprised at the global acting acclaim Gary Oldman later achieved. The young Oldman delivers a terrifyingly realistic portrayal of a well-heeled leader of a gang of football hooligans. Under Alan Clarke's direction, not a second of film is wasted: repeated watching will constantly reveal new details and refinements of plot and character missed on previous viewings.

The thrills and exuberance of 1980s football hooliganism are vividly captured by a well-researched script. Oldman's character devotes his life to West Ham's Inter City Firm (ICF), as it was in its 1980s heydey. Many details of the ICF portrayed in The Firm are realistic: the movement consisted largely of autonomous groups who united under the ICF banner on match days; and the ICF were - at the time - the most feared hooligan firm in the country.

The drama focuses on the attempts of Oldman's character to unite England's warring firms (in the manner that the ICF united the West Ham firms), but his national ambitions bring him into vicious conflict with rivals in London and Birmingham.

As a footnote, those interested in exploring the history of the real ICF could find insight in the autobiographical books of Cass Pennant. Like Pennant's books, The Firm captures the sentimentalism (and even, in strange sense, the innocence) of old-style football hooliganism.

Finally, a decent DVD release for this classic of British cinema from back in the days where the BBC produced such quality teleplays on a regular basis. Preceding Shane Meadows and Danny Boyle, Alan Clarke was arguably Britain's most exciting and vital filmmaker, and surely its most controversial. The Firm is probably his best film, and sadly also his last, as he passed away while prepping a feature film in America. It showcases him at both his most focused and his most uncompromising, and probably presents as his most recognisable. His fascination with violence is at its most unflinching here, a progression from his previous film Elephant (inspiration for the Gus Van Sant film of the same name) which was comprised completely of murders and featured no dialogue. What's frightening about the violence in this film is that these men have decent jobs and family lives, and get into rucks because they like it, pure and simple. His trademark steadicam shots are in abundance too. In fact, practically the whole film is shot in this manner, painstaking work though it may have been for the poor cameraman! Save for a few close-ups, most of the film is presented with a kind of immediate closeness that really puts you right in the middle of things without getting involved, a bewildered onlooker unable to help. The Firm runs the gamut of negative emotions, from the fear for the safety of schoolboy Yusef as he runs from men twice his age to the guilty rush of adrenaline we feel as Bex and his boys head into battle. The cast is on top form here, with Gary Oldman in a career-best performance and his then-wife Lesley Manville excellent as a spouse almost as bad as her husband for putting up with his antics. The support is excellent as well, featuring appearances from about half the cast of Lock Stock, Corrie's Charles Lawson, Eastenders' Steve McFadden and Phil Davis as Oldman's rival Yeti, who himself would go into direct a film about football hooligans with 1995's I.D.

Of course, the film couldn't have less to do with football. These men, as one character excellently sums up, "just like hitting people". They've built up rivalries based on ego and machismo rather than support of their local teams. In a sense they've failed to grow up, no more evident in Bex's frequenting his old bedroom in his parents' house, the walls adorned in football pictures long forgotten, to practice beating up his foes on a pillow, in a scene comical on paper, but chilling in execution.

In short, the film is a masterpiece. As such, it deserves a wealth of extra features, and BBC has finally got their act together and put together a decent DVD package which focuses as much on the career of Clarke as it does on the film. The center attraction is a 1991 50-minute documentary covering his whole career, concise and informative and with input from Oldman and Ray Winstone, who have since become megastars due in large part to their roles in his films. Also featured is a short introduction, again from 1991 and presented by Clarke's friend and collaborator David Leland as part of that year's Alan Clarke season. A short featurette from around that time on football hooliganism serves to contextualise the film, while the controversy is covered in an episode of The Late Show originally broadcast the night after The Firm, bravely included as it deals with many of the criticisms of the film as well as its merits, much as the Fight Club DVD booklet did (another film which famously caused a bit of trouble for its depiction of violence, and those who practice it). Rounding out the set is an relaxed, informative and often funny commentary from Manville and Davis, as well as moderator Fiddy and Clarke biographer Dave Rollinson. The combination of actors with first-hand experience and an author with a extensive knowledge of Clarke's work really makes this track worth a listen. The set is packaged in a (supposedly limited edition) steelbook and features an 8-page booklet with some extra information on the making of the film not present on the DVD. The package satisfies on all fronts, save for the omission of several deleted scenes discussed on the commentary track, but like I started off saying, if you're considering getting The Firm, get this edition because once the film's over you will want to watch the extras. Then go and check out some of Clarke's other violence movies, like early Tim Roth showcase Made In Britain or the classic Scum. You won't be disappointed.

Compelling story of Yuppie hoolie Bex (a moustached Gary Oldman) and his battle with rival top boy Yeti (a pony-tailed Phil Davis) to lead England's firm at their next European awayday.

Directed by the much missed Alan Clarke, a specialist in gritty, hard hitting, realistic drama; this film (supported by the BBC) made headlines at the time for exposing the myth that all football hooligans postcarded their violent intentions by dressing like boot boys, scarves on wrists and all. The irony of the sight of lads fighting in the latest designer gear was completely lost on the majority of middle England at the time.

The main character Bex is a smart, intelligent, respectable married man in a good job who's pastime is leading a crew known as the ICC (sic ICF?) at the weekends; a true product of Thatcher's Britain.

His wife (Oldman's real wife back then, Lesley Manville) is semi-oblivious to his exploits, although he is ably egged on by his admiring working-class dad.

Various well-known faces past and present crop up throughout the film, and there's a bit of a soap theme as Corrie's Jim McDonald and EastEnders' Phil Mitchell join in for the rucks and a bit of cockney banter.

The characters are far more believable than those in the current crop of hoolie films, yes even more than "The Football Factory" so beloved of the Loaded/FHM brigade out there. The scene where Bex lays into one of his own new boys, when he doubts he has the stomach to stand and fight when it matters, is very difficult to watch; control through the threat of fear is the priority in the mind of the hardened thug.

People who complain the film isn't violent enough are completely missing the point, it doesn't need to be graphic, the film is portraying why this guy Bex chooses to be who he is. The most important thing in his life is being a top boy and the ability to walk tall on his own patch. He wants people to fear him, that's his escapism. Even his own wife fails to grasp the nettle as to why he does it; "I need the buzz" he explains to her, "Then buy a bloody beehive then", she retorts angrily.

Oldman excels in the lead role, and there are some excellent scenes of almost uncontrollable rage; whether it is having a private moment testing out his baton on an unsuspecting pillow, a surprise visit to a rivals boozer, or testing the bottle of a new boy.

Compelling; remember this character sells houses for a living, would you invite him around for a valuation on your gaff?

I like "The Football Factory" it has humour and they're all cheeky cockney Jack the Lads and all that, but "The Firm" for me is the better film, it tells it like it is, and there is nothing humorous about this dark tale. One scene nagged me afterwards though, did I really see Bex actually pay for his rail tickets? Any serious jibber would have had a good laugh at that one.