It’s grim up North.
This, in a nutshell, is the philosophy of novelist David Peace, a native of Yorkshire in England, whose series of books about crime and corruption are the base for this excellent trilogy, originally broadcast on the BBC. Peace is a progenitor of pulp, and obvious student of American crime writers Jim Thompson and James Ellroy. He has made a study of historical fiction, much like Ellroy, in taking true events from the past and making them his own. Fortunately, like those two, he also understands that the true nature of noir is, in fact, a nasty business mandating that, once the story is established, the downward spiral must commence soon after. His series of books, which make up the skeleton of Red Riding, are quick and to the point, consumed with sex and violence and written almost entirely as internal dialogues in an amphetamine rap. The challenge for writer Tony Grisoni in adapting these books into a plausible narrative was immense; as impressive as Peace’s novels are, it could be argued that Grisoni’s efforts are even more so, as he has effectively torn apart and reassembled the books into a compelling whole, crafting a haunting and brutal three part series about police corruption, murder, and the secrets a city will keep to maintain order.
I’m loath to give away much in the way of detail, as the trilogy needs to be experienced from the very beginning, in 1974, through to 1980, and finally finishing with 1983. Let it be known that the fulcrum of the story is a murdered child, a ten-year-old girl, who is found in a dump with swan’s wings crudely sewn into her back, which is the latest in a series of abductions which have plagued the city. The series begins as Eddie Dunford (Andrew Garfield), a son of York, returns to Leeds from London to work as a crime reporter on the local paper. He gets himself involved with the case, despite the efforts of both his editor and the police to keep him in the dark. A fellow reporter on the paper soon clues him in on the facts about life in Leeds; the local constabulary are utterly corrupt, using members of the force as thugs, and are in the pocket of one of the cities leading businessmen, John Dawson (Sean Bean), whose money speaks quite loudly.
The 1980 story drops us into the true story of the Yorkshire Ripper, a serial killer who the Leeds police have been unable to find after thirteen murders. A Manchester cop, Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine), is sent to Yorkshire to aid in the investigation, bringing with him two other officers, and also to quietly try to learn why it has taken the police so long to catch the killer. A particular murder, long attributed to the Ripper, catches Hunter’s eye, which leads him to suspect there is something afoot in the Leeds police department. Violence, arson and blackmail are all the tools of the trade of the Yorkshire force, which is united under the maxim “This is the North. We do what we want!”
Finally, 1983 shows the snake eating its tail, as another child abduction leads to intertwining investigations, one by Leeds detective Maurice Jobson (David Morrissey) who was on the original case, and one by local lawyer John Piggott (Mark Addy), who finds himself representing both the long-convicted Michael Myshkin and the now-suspected Leonard Cole. Guilt drives them both to discover the truth behind these child murders, and to finally bring the killers to justice.
There are a number of plot threads, characters and flashbacks which tie together each of the films, but I can’t possibly detail them all, nor should I. Suffice it to say that there are slags, corrupt cops, pornography, a medium, hard-drinking reporters, adulterers, murderers, grieving mothers and a young rent boy who seems to know everyone’s secrets. The acting is terrific throughout, from a number of faces familiar to viewers of British cinema and television. The leads in each film are all top-notch, with Garfield showing an impressive charisma akin to Ewan McGregor’s early days that would hopefully lead to better things, although the fact that he is playing Spider-Man next is very disappointing. Considine, Morrissey and Addy are all superb, and aided by Rebecca Hall, Sean Harris, Warren Clarke, Jim Carter, Daniel Mays and many others in providing small but indelibly portrayed characters. The three directors (Julian Jarrold, Anand Tucker and Man on Wire Oscar winner James Marsh) all present a dark, grimy menace to the proceedings, which offer impressive period pieces without relying on stylistic clichés. A word of warning, however. The dialogue is true to its surroundings of northern England, and at times it can be difficult to make out the dialect. As odd as it may sound, even for a series of films in English, the subtitles option may be a way to go.
Noir is a nasty business. Each of these films is dark, often cruel, violent and despairing. Which is how these things are supposed to go, you know. Much like the recent The Square, an Australian film which lays bare the bones of aberrant human behavior in exquisite detail, Red Riding offers little hope in the caverns of human nature, and remembers that it is the horror of man which should frighten us the most. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]
Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Unrated
DVD Release Date: 8/31/10