The Firm (D)

Director Alan Clarke (Scum, Rita, Sue and Bob too, Christine) brings to the television screen a film of brutal reality, both in physicality and characterisation. The film is even more enhanced by his brilliant use of camera angles and minimal studio lighting which help create raw and effective visuals. In “The Firm” we see the nastier violent side of soccer and soccer gangs. Bex Bissek (Gary Oldman) is a respectable estate agent during the week who loves his wife and son but when the weekend arrives, he loves nothing better than to get together with his “firm” and give someone a good kicking. His “firm” is a gang of football supporters known as the Inter-City Crew, of which Bex is the leader. Bex’s plan is to unite all the rival gangs into one “firm” for the forthcoming European Cup in Germany (1988). These gangs are not just your average football supporters, they are fully organised and come from a broad spectrum of socio-economic backgrounds and culture. Their main adrenalin hit is violence, with a good dose of alcohol, and Stuttgart is where the action will take place - a chance to take on the Germans, or anyone else who gets in their way. Knives, sledgehammers and baseball bats are their weapons. Extremely graphic and containing some disturbing images, “The Firm” caused huge controversy when it was aired in 1989. Cast also includes Lesley Manville, Philip Davis, Andrew Wilde, Charles Lawson, Jay Simpson. Screenplay written by Al Hunter.