|
|
|
Remembrance
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - British Film Institute Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (9th April 2025). |
|
The Film
 "Remembrance" (1982) Taking place in the port city of Plymouth, sailors of the Royal Navy is ready to embark on a six month tour to take them across the Atlantic. Steve (played by John Altman) is in a relationship with his girlfriend Sue (played by Sally Jane Jackson), though she is concerned as her ex-boyfriend Sean (played by Ewan Stewart) is also a sailor and is jealous that she is seeing a new man. His best friend Malcolm (played by Martin Barrass) is in a relationship with Sue’s best friend Gail (played by Michèle Winstanley), who works at a local pub. It is at the pub which an unfortunate incident occurs in which a drunken young man (a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000198/">Gary Oldman) is thrown out of the club and beaten into a coma by the bouncer, which traumatizes the young sailor Mark (played by David John), who didn’t know the guy but was having drinks with him throughout the night. The distraught Mark tells his sailor mate Vincent (played by Pete Lee-Wilson) about the ordeal, but Vincent is having some personal issues as well. Being distant from his father (played by Derek Benfield) and also his estranged mother (played by Sheila Ballantine), who happens to be in a relationship with the owner of the pub where the violent incident took place. There are a lot of characters and parallel storylines in “Remembrance”, which all takes place in a single period in a single city, with characters weaving in and out of each others’ stories and connecting the narrative together. It is an ensemble piece that is fascinating, though at times confusing if one were not to pay attention fully. There are many instances of audiences missing out on the connections at first viewing, such as the drunken young man asking for “Gail” when he goes to the pub, signaling that he knows Malcolm’s girlfriend, though these are caught on subsequent viewings, giving a further fascination on repeat. Navigating through the narratives, they are all connected in some ways to the beating of the young man, and the mystery of who he is and why he was there. He had no ID on him and no one to identify him. It is a well crafted narrative with multiple angles, from family dynamics, youth in rebellion, and frustration against the onslaught of horny and hungry male sailors. Some of the characters and their relationships are cornerstones, but not all of the multiple narratives are particularly interesting. The film was actor Gary Oldman’s first on screen appearance and he is the first of the main characters, yet he is the one with the least amount of dialogue, with only a few drunken lines until he is in the rest of the film in a coma in a hospital. Even with this limited time, Oldman gives a great performance as the mystery man, whose identity is revealed eventually. While the reveal is not a massive revelation, it at least gives some closure to the story, even if it feels less than satisfactory. The character of Mark is given the most time, showing his relationship with his parents (played by Roger Booth and Marjie Lawrence) and his teenage younger sister Gill (played by Dawn Archibald) who is going through a punk rock phase. He has the biggest connection to the mystery man, and his traumatized look is well performed, as his guilt burdens his time when he is supposed to be with family and friends. In addition the storyline of Vincent is a difficult one with his estranged parents who he wants to connect with before his departure but at the same time not wanting to because of the heavy weight of emotional detachment. Though not all of the storylines are particularly heavy, as there are many portions with great humor. The banter between Steve and Malcolm, the opposing sides with Sue and Gail and the trouble they get into are made for laughs, such as the scene on the train with Malcolm and his sailor mates John (played by Al Ashton) and Chris (played by Nick Dunning) try to impress some college girls on the opposite side of the train car, or when Chris and Malcolm are late getting to the Indian restaurant. The humor is not over the top and in a more casual sense with reality, and are refreshing moments in comparison to the heavier portions. One storyline that unfortunately gets the lower end is with Doug (played by Timothy Spall) and Christine (played by Kim Taylforth). The young married couple is having a difficult time as Christine is early in her first pregnancy and this is the last full day that they can spend time together before Doug is shipped off with the other sailors. Christine has anxiety having to deal with the pregnancy and most likely the childbirth without Doug by her side. He tries to be nice to her, he tries to help her, but nothing he does seems to make her feel any satisfaction. While there is some minor crossover with the other characters with the intersecting moment at the Indian restaurant, their storyline seems to be tagged on rather than integrated into the fully narrative. Producer/director Colin Gregg> thought it would be interesting to tell a story about sailors not in battle in the seas, but rather with their short time on land. From the increased testosterone, the impact it had on port towns during their visit, and all the frustrations in between, there were many stories to tell, rather than just one. With screenwriter Hugh Stoddart, the weaving narrative was created to tell multiple stories, multiple viewpoints, and their interconnected nature. Shot on location in the port town of Plymouth, home to HMNB Devonport, the largest naval base in western Europe, the film captures the ins and outs of the navy and the city’s culture, with the men and women that temporarily call the place “home”. The film is an early production by the newly established Channel 4, in which they were producing their own feature films that could be screened in cinemas as well as being aired on their network. It was produced on a relatively small budget of £325,000 entirely on location in the fall of 1981 on Super 16mm film, without major names attached to the main cast. “Remembrance” premiered on the channel on November 10th, 1982, just a week after Channel 4 started its first broadcast. Between the time the film was produced and released about a year later, the Falklands War broke out, which gave quite a different light to the Royal Navy by the time the film was released. This is why the film briefly mentions about the Troubles in Northern Ireland in a news segment shown on a television set but has no mention of the Falklands as it hadn’t happened yet. The film screened at some festivals in other countries, with the Chicago International Film Festival and at the Göteborg Film Festival. But for years the film was not widely available, with only showings on Channel 4 being the only place to see it. It was never given a home video release, most likely because of the issue with the soundtrack. The film’s soundtrack has an amazing roster of artists attached, with tracks by Brian Eno, Phil Collins, The Rolling Stones, The Police, The Human League, Rod Stewart, and many others. The artists are not credited in the end credits of the film, as most likely the rights were negotiated with the basic single use for television broadcast, and not considered for home video releases. There are many instances of films and television shows that have had difficulty with licensing for DVD or Blu-ray releases due to music rights being re-negotiated separately, and at times songs were completely replaced due to expenses being too costly. This seemed to be the case with “Remembrance” for many years, but thankfully the BFI’s Blu-ray release, the first home video release for the film worldwide, has all the music intact. The disco music and new wave sounds, the fashion choices, and the language spoken are reflective of the time. More than thirty years after its first airing, “Remembrance” does not feel dated in its themes, and is a testament to great narrative and direction, as well as excellent performances from the young cast, which new audiences are finally able to appreciate. Note this is a region B Blu-ray
Video
The BFI presents the film in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. The film was originally broadcast in the 1.33;1 ratio, though it was always kept in mind for this and other Channel 4 film productions to compose for both television and widescreen ratios for theatrical screenings. The original Super 16mm film negative held by Chanel 4 was remastered in 2K resolution. The picture looks excellent throughout, with deep colors for the night sequences, brighter hues for the daytime portions, and skin tones looking natural. Detail is also excellent, with great depth. Damage has been almost entirely eliminated, with no instances of scratches or debris to be found, while at the same time the film grain is kept intact and has been well managed. There are no major instances of flickering and image stability is excellent. As the film was originally seen on television in standard definition, this is miles ahead of how it originally looked as it goes to the original materials for a much sharper and clearer image with increased definition. A solid remaster and an excellent transfer by the BFI. The film's runtime is 110:53.
Audio
English LPCM 2.0 stereo The audio is presented with its original stereo track in uncompressed form. The stereo separation is excellent especially where the music cues come in, such as the opening sequence with the disco music and various pub scenes with the music pumping in the background. As stated before, there are many recognizable major songs to be heard, and they all come in loud and clear in this audio track. There are also subtle effects like the rain in the opening, though most of the film is center based with dialogue. The dialogue is always clear and clean, well balanced against the music and effects, with no issues of damage or dropout to be found. An excellent job with the sound as well. There are optional English HoH subtitles for the main feature, which are white in color, easy to read, and well timed.
Extras
2018 Introduction by Gary Oldman (2:36) This introduction has Gary Oldman discussing the beginning of Channel 4 and his first film, his favorite actors, and his time on stage prior to appearing in "Remembrance", without much in terms of spoilers for the film itself. The introduction is optional when starting the film. The interview clip has also been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 1.66:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "Vivid Memories" 2024 interview with director Colin Gregg (21:14) Presented here is a newly conducted interview with the director, recalling the production. Discussed are about the initial idea for the story and working with Stoddart, the production budget of £325,000 and the financing issues, shooting on Super 16mm film, the music choices, the help from the Royal Navy, his thoughts on the film in hindsight, and more. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 1.66:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "Working Away" 2024 interview with screenwriter Hugh Stoddart (21:25) Here is a newly conducted interview with Stoddart (conducted by his son, Ben Stoddart of the BFI), as he discusses about the research for the script, his inspirations, wanting to make a film about a group of people rather than one or two characters through multiple storylines, the casting process, the use of language, and more. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 1.66:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "Acting the Part" 2024 interview with actor John Altman (12:58) This new interview with Altman has him talking about his very early roles, getting cast in "Remembrance" though he was much older than the character he was portraying, his own family's connection to Plymouth, bonding with other actors, his career following the production, and more. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 1.66:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "David Rose in Conversation" 2010 interview extracts (10:37) Rose joined Channel 4 at its infancy in 1981 following his work at the BBC, He was appointed as the Commissioning Editor for Fiction, producing over 100 feature films for the television channel with many having a theatrical release, including "Remembrance". This on stage discussion isn't particular to "Remembrance", but on his work financing and producing at the time. The camera operator seemingly cannot decide whether to keep a wide shot of the stage with Rose and interviewer Sir Jeremy Isaacs or zooming in onto Rose, as it shifts back and forth constantly throughout the interview. in 1080i50 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "Raleigh: The First Few Weeks" 1986 short (18:38) This 1986 video short was produced by the Central Office of Information for Royal Navy recruiting purposes. It showcases new cadets going through basic training, important information on the physical training and rules implied (such as no porn, as well as no homosexuality - which was outlawed at the time) and the life of the men aboard the HMS Raleigh. Shot on video, it is in very good condition without any issues of tape wear or damage to be found. in 1080i50 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "Royal Navy Amazon" 1980 TV advertisement (0:40) A vintage promo for the navy is presented here, which was shot on film but edited on video so there are moments of film damage as well as tape damage from time to time. in 1080i50 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles Galleries - Script - Assorted Ephemera Presented here are two manual galleries, the first with 116 handwritten pages of the script in its most original form, plus 33 pages of newspaper clippings, promotional materials, and more. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 Booklet A 32 page booklet is included with the first pressing. First is a newly written statement for the film by Hugh Stoddart recalling about the sript and the production. Next is the essay "Bloody Navy, Bloody Union Street" by Plymouth based writer Johnny Mains which details the making of the film. Then there is "Channelling Creativity: The Legacy of Film on Four" by BFI curator Dr Josephine Botting on the channel and its film legacy. There are also full film credits, special features information, transfer information, acknowledgements, and stills. Other notable clips: The Royal Navy Fleet 1982/83 featuring various ships and submarines "Roxanne" by The Police "Young Turks" by Rod Stewart "Little T&A" by The Rolling Stones
Packaging
This is spine #48 in BFI's Flipside series of releases.
Overall
"Remembrance" is a great ensemble piece with multiple storylines that has been long unseen by the masses. Thankfully the BFI have rescued the film by giving it its first ever home video release with all the music cues intact, with a fantastic transfer from the original film materials. The Blu-ray also has a great selection of extras and it comes as highly recommended. Amazon UK link BFI Shop link
|
|||||
|