Elephant (1989) (TV)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Alan Clarke

Writer:

Bernard MacLaverty (writer)

Genre:

Short

Plot:

A depiction of a series of violent killings in Northern Ireland with no clue as to exactly who is responsible. |

Plot Keywords:

Northern Ireland | Murder | Assassin | Hitman | Gun

Cast

Gary Walker
Bill Hamilton
Michael Foyle
Danny Small
Robert J. Taylor		(as Robert Taylor)
Joe Cauley
Joe McGee		(as Noel McGee)
Patrick Condren
Andrew Downs
Terry Doyle		(as Terence Doyle)
Michael Liebman
Gavin Bloomer
Barry Brent
Paul Nemeer
Sam Doyle
Burt Murray
Tim Loane
Kenny Harris
Paddy Rocks
Ken McIlroy
Hamish Fyfe
Trevor Moore
William Walker
Brian Giffen
Billy Dee
Michael Fieldhouse
William McAllister
Alan Craig
Stephen Potter
David McDade
Mark O'Donnell
James Moore
Mike Maxwell
Michael Magee
Nigel Craig
Liam Hefferon
B.J. Hogg
Bobby Stinton
Dave Bustard
Brian MacGabhann
David Smyth
Niall McLean

Directed by
Alan Clarke

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bernard MacLaverty		writer

Produced by
Danny Boyle	....	producer

Cinematography by
Philip Dawson
John Ward

Film Editing by
Don O'Donovan

Costume Design by
Maggie Donnelly

Makeup Department
Kathy Carruth	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jennifer McAufield	....	production manager

Art Department
John Jenkins	....	scenic supervisor
John McCready	....	properties buyer

Sound Department
Bryan Elliott	....	boom operator
Ken Hains	....	dubbing mixer
Peter Lindsay	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Peter Wragg	....	visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Allister Maxwell	....	gaffer

Other crew
Ken Bond	....	armorer
Paul Clarke	....	design
Mark Huffam	....	assistant floor manager
Kevin Jackson	....	location manager
Stephen Killen	....	assistant floor manager
Christine Sufferin	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• BBC Northern Ireland

Distributors

• Blue Underground (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Runtime:

39 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

West Germany:18

Company:

BBC Northern Ireland

Trivia:

Director Alan Clarke's final film.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Memories of: Elephant (2004) (V)

Disturbing

This film was made for British television in 1988, the last film by it's controversial creator Alan Clarke. There's no story here at all. Set in Northern Ireland, the film depicts a series of seemingly random killings.

It is shot entirely on location with completely unknown actors. The film is quite disturbingly realistic. There is almost no dialogue in the film and absolutely no attempt to give the film any kind of context.

The film is certainly well-made and impressive but the initial sense of shock fades before the film is over and the repeated images soon become dull, which might be the film's most disturbing aspect. In a way the use of gliding camera movements following characters either to their own deaths or to kill someone else, as well as the film's frequent use of holding on the image of the victims for some time after the killings take place can work against the involvement you might feel for this film.

It is certainly worth watching, however. The casualness of the brutality and the haunting images linger for a long time after the end credits roll