Unforgiven [DVD]

 

 

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I must confess to a parochial interest in ITV drama Unforgiven .It was shot in and around my home town of Halifax and the writer Sally Wainwright is not only from Sowerby Bridge where i currently reside but was in the same year as me at Secondary School though obviously she made better use of her time there.
I must confess her previous works ("Jane Hall [2006]", "At Home With The Braithwaites - Series 1-4 - Complete", "Playing The Field - Series 1 And 2 - Complete") have held little interest for me but Unforgiven , an adult drama concerning themes of redemption, guilt , revenge and family ties seemed more like my cup of tea. And so it proved for Unforgiven aired over three separate Monday 1 hour episodes turned out to be the most compelling British drama i have seen for some time .
Ruth Slater ( Suranne Jones) is released from prison after serving 15 years for the murder of two policemen gunned down when they came to help bailiffs evict her and her younger sister from their remote family farmhouse "Upper Hanging Stones Farm". Her sister, re-named Lucy Belcombe ( Emily Beecham) has now been adopted and is living in York. Ruth wants to contact her and is helped in this by lawyer John Ingram ( Peter Davison ) against the wishes of his wife Izzy (Siobhan Finneran) after he hears her tale and takes pity on her .They have bought the farmhouse where Ruth used to live and John's help offers her hope of redemption, something that is hard to come as she struggles to integrate back into a normal work and home life. This is not the worst she will face however.. The sons of one of the unfortunate policemen Steve Whelan ( Matthew McNulty ) and Kieran Whelan (Jack Deam) are in vengeful mood and on hearing that Ruth is out plot the best way to inflict it .
Despite the plot occasionally relying too much on coincidences and the gaping plot flaw that a murderer would never be released and housed back into the community where he/she had committed their crime Unforgiven seemed to me a realistic uncompromising work. The script crucially avoids sermonising and lets the viewer make their own mind up how they feel about Ruth. The eventual truth about that happened on the day of the shooting is never signposted but i guessed what had actually happened ...he harrumphed smugly .However it makes the resolution even more moving .
Where the series really triumphs though is in the performances. The whole cast are good but Suranne Jones as the troubled Ruth is a revelation. Her preoccupied visage , not an unattractive one it must be said, has stayed with me for days after each episode and her body hunched over like she is forever expecting some form of violent or verbal attack is a masterpiece of physical acting . Each mood passes palpably across her face seemingly in synch with the brooding changeable Pennine weather. Even her Yorkshire accent is spot on. Putting aside her roles in tripe like Harley Street [2008] in any right thinking world Suranne Jones would be festooned with awards for her portrayal of Ruth Slater. Without doubt the best acting i have seen from a female performer for yonks.....since Natalie Portman in "Closer [2004]" in fact
Unforgiven has a seemingly spurious sub-plot about the farm house being haunted . But you see it is haunted...by Ruth and by what happened there 15 years ago. Compelling well written , well acted adult drama's are a rarity , especially over here, but Unforgiven emphatically bucks the trend.

UNFORGIVEN has been one of the best T.V. dramas that I have seen for a long time.
The story centers around Ruth Slater (Jones), a woman who is released from prison after seving 15 years for the murders of two policemen. Not only do you get to see Ruth slowly trying to adapt to life outside of a prison cell, you also get to see the stories of her younger sister Katie (renamed Lucy and adopted following the crime), the two sons of one of her victims and the couple who move into the house where the murders took place. Slowly, all of these characters come together in order to reach a dramatic climax.
Like other reviewers, I did guess a twist at the end, but this took nothing away from my enjoyment of UNFORGIVEN. Because the story is so well done, and the cast all put in brillinat performances, any hints at what happened all those years ago took nothing away from the themes of Ruth's story.
This is a brilliant drama dealing with many different issues - guilt, redemption, revenge and retribution to name a few. Highly recommended.

I'm not much of a talented reviewer but I just wanted to say that I was totally blown away by Suranne's acting. The storyline and way the film was made was superb but I do think it was the acting that left me feeling that what I had just watched was a very special piece of film/TV. The other top rated reviewers are totally acurate in this case, so I don't need to say any more, except that I totally recommend this DVD if you enjoy a great British drama with some added emotion and empathy with the characters.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Location location location!
The acting is top class (bravo!), the story grabs you and makes you keep watching, but the star is surely the location. Read more

Published 3 months ago by NorthBrit

3.0 out of 5 stars Unforgiven DVD
I purchased this DVD at the request of my Wife, my wife really liked this but I have not watched it & do not intend to as yet, but the postage was quick & the price was ok, also... Read more

Published 4 months ago by Stewg

5.0 out of 5 stars A riveting TV drama
A wonderful TV drama that ticks all the boxes. Carefully worked out and a very difficult subject is aproached with a gentle touch that makes sense. Read more

Published 15 months ago by Donald

5.0 out of 5 stars Suranne Jones "Unforgiven."
Thought-provoking writing. Method acting, maintaining viewers' interest right to the end. Excellent to near-perfection direction. Read more

Published 15 months ago by Mustafa Higginbottom.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Acting
I enjoyed this DVD. I thought Suranne Jones was very well cast in this part. It left you not sure what had really happened on the day that the two police officers were shot. Great

Published on 7 Jan 2010 by L. Edwards

5.0 out of 5 stars UNFORGIVEN
what a wonderful film with great actors taking part,I have watched it several times and the storyline is so factual I am sure there is a true story somewhere in the production,... Read more

Published on 19 Mar 2009 by Mr. P. E. Tilbury

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and intensely moving
Due to poor TV reception I had missed seeing this drama when it was shown earlier in the year.

Not being very familiar with Coronation Street I'm unable to place... Read more

Published on 28 Feb 2009 by Mr. J. Glenville-Dowling

4.0 out of 5 stars Suranne Jones comes of age
For a good actor to attain greatness many things are needed not least of which is luck. Finding the right vehicle for their talents is difficult: there can be few roles around as... Read more

Published on 9 Feb 2009 by Stephen Pearson

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth watching
I started to watch this drama with some trepidation as I had found it difficult to forget that Suranne Jones played Karen in Coronation Street for some time (I thought she had... Read more

Published on 29 Jan 2009 by S. Thomas

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