The Firm(1989 film)

The Firmis a 1989 Britishmade-for-televisiondrama filmdirected byAlan Clarkeand written byAl Hunter Ashtonfor theBBC.It starsGary Oldman,Lesley Manville,Phil Davis,Charles LawsonandSteve McFaddenin his acting debut. The film is based on the activities of theInter City Firm(billed as the "Inter City Crew" )football firmofWest Ham Unitedduring the 1970s and 1980s.

The Firm
Written by	Al Hunter Ashton(as Al Hunter)
Directed by	Alan Clarke
Starring	Gary Oldman Lesley Manville Phil Davis Charles Lawson
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
Production
Producer	David M. Thompson
Cinematography	Ben Philpott Richard Philpott John Ward
Editor	John Strickland
Running time	70 minutes
Original release
Network	BBC
Release	26 February 1989(1989-02-26)

The film, which courted controversy on release, has come to be regarded among the finest films on the subject of football hooliganism. It is notable for having almost no musical score ordiegeticmusic, save forDean Martin's rendition of "That's Amore"over the opening titles. Oldman's performance has been hailed as one of the greatest of his career.

Plot

Clive Bissel (nicknamed "Bex", or "Bexy" ) is a married man with a baby son. He is the leader of a hooligan firm known as the ICC (Inter City Crew). His wife no longer approves of his activities as a football hooligan, which contrast to his respectable job as an estate agent. Even when his baby son injures himself with a craft knife Bexy has carelessly left lying around, he is unwilling to give up violence as he admits it gives him a "buzz". Conversely, Bexy's father shows acceptance of his son's lifestyle, happily taking a group photograph of the 'tooled up' gang and boasting of similar activities in his own era. However, he feels that Bex and his friends have gone soft because they now use weapons and worry too much about strategy, instead of just getting on with fighting rival mobs.

The film begins with a rival gang called "The Buccaneers" vandalising Bexy'sFord Sierra XR4x4and spraying graffiti in a football dressing room while Bexy and his mates are playing football. Bexy's nemesis and leader of the Buccaneers, Yeti, then drives a whiteVolkswagen Golf GTicabriolet across the football pitch.

With an imminent international football tournament in Holland, Bexy wants to form a 'National Firm' – comprising several rival gangs – big enough to take on the well organised and large international hooligan groups. Bexy meets leaders from other firms in theTower Hotelin London, including the Buccaneers. The other gangs like the idea, but do not like the idea of Bexy being top boy. The rival firms then agree to fight each other in order to determine who will lead the new, amalgamated firm into Europe.

Bex and his fellow hooligans only possess any kind of social status amongst their own groups, and Bex relishes being looked up to and admired by the younger men in his own firm. Bexy used his natural leadership qualities to cajole and encourage his peers, and uses intimidation to cement his position as leader of the ICC. These young men think of themselves as important, respected figures in their local community, but Bexy's wife tells him that the truth is somewhat different. Everyone thinks of him as a joke, she says, but because they fear his violent nature, few are willing to point out to him that he is not the working class hero he thinks he is.

The ICC survive violent clashes with the other gangs, but must still defeat the Buccaneers. Bexy is relishing the chance to defeat Yeti. Bexy beats up Yeti during the ICC's clash with the Buccaneers. In his last moments, Bexy expresses astonishment and disbelief that Yeti has a gun, and says 'Oh, come on!' before Yeti pulls the trigger.

The closing scene depicts the surviving ICC members in a pub, honouring Bexy as a hero. They claim, when they are fighting European firms at the forthcoming tournament, they will be doing so in memory of their dead leader. The hooligans from three different firms, who were fighting each other not long ago, agree that Bex was a visionary who brought them together, giving him legendary status, and that his death will not make them change their behaviour, as they vow to continue.

In the film's closing moments, the hooligan actors begin to attack the camera crew, throwing their drinks and chanting aggressively, therebybreaking the fourth walland demonstrating that the events of the film are not entirely fictional.

Cast

• Gary Oldmanas Clive "Bex" Bissell
• Lesley Manvilleas Sue Bissell
• Albert Bentall as Sammy Bissell
• Phil Davisas "Yeti"
• Andrew Wildeas "Oboe"
• Charles Lawsonas "Trigg"
• William Vanderpuyeas "Aitch"
• Jay Simpson as Dominic
• Patrick Murrayas "Nunk"
• Robbie Geeas "Snowy"
• Terry Sue-Pattas Yusef
• Nick Dunningas Simon
• Nicholas Hewetson as "Beef"
• Steve McFaddenas Billy
• Steve Sweeney as J.T.
• Hepburn Graham as Stu

Production

Alan Clarke had been making a series of challenging and complex films throughout the 80s, partly influenced by the use of the then-pioneeringSteadicam.In 1998, dramatist and author David Hare commented that "Alan believes in a style which I describe as being a sort of democratic camera[...]The Firmis plainly the climax of the style and I think the masterpiece. "In keeping with earlier films likeScumandMade in Britain,The Firmfocuses primarily on characters who can be seen as lacking in redemptive qualities and are self-destructive.

WriterAl Hunter Ashtonpartially based the script on his own experiences, having been a member of a "firm" himself for some years.

The film itself was filmed in and aroundThamesmeadin the spring of 1988; Clarke was able to persuade Gary Oldman to take the lead role of Bex whilst the part of Sue was played by Oldman's then-wife Lesley Manville. As Oldman would later comment in 1998 "Alan[...] was a great one for discovering people"andThe Firmfeatures a number of actors whose profiles would become significantly more raised in the 1990s including Steve McFadden (later to play Phil Mitchell inEastEnders), Charles Lawson (later Jim MacDonald inCoronation Street) and Steve Sweeney (later Plank inLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). The child of Bex and Sue is played by the infant son ofJanine Duvitskiwhom Clarke had worked with forDiane(1975).

The meeting of the three separate firms was filmed at the Tower Hotel on Tower Bridge; during the filming, a genuine fight started to occur between various members of the cast, resulting in some damage to the hotel itself.

The Firmwas Alan Clarke's final film; producerDavid M. Thompsonnoted in a 1998 interview, "it was during the shooting ofThe Firmthat Alan complained of backache. I remember vividly driving him to his osteopath. Of course, it wasn't backache at all. "During the following year, Clarke was diagnosed with cancer, which would eventually result in his death in 1990.

Reception and legacy

The Firmproved controversial,and has been both celebrated and condemned for its violent content.Tom Dawson inThe Listreported that it "is widely considered to be the toughest and most insightful screen depiction of football hooligans".Vicecritic Harry Sword wrote that "The Firmremains the definitive celluloid document on football hooliganism: a panoramic masterpiece that captured a world of vicious violence and material aspiration ".Philip FrenchinThe Observerdescribed the film as "by some way the best movie on the subject of football hooliganism and a key text on the subject ofThatcher'sBritain. "

Film4hailedThe Firmas a "brilliant and compelling drama" that features Oldman "at his visceral, intense best".Josh Winning ofTotal Filmobserved its "unflinching depictions of violence" along with Clarke's "layered, fearless approach", and named Oldman's "stunning" performance as the best of his career.Matthew Thrift of theBritish Film Institutein 2018 wrote that Bissell "remains probably Gary Oldman's greatest screen performance".

The Firmhas been described as acult classic.

Home media releases

The film was first released on VHS on 21 Oct 1996 in a double pack with the similarly themedI.D.,with a standalone release following a few years later. A DVD was first released by Prism Leisure on 2 Feb 2004. The film has been sold as part of numerous box-sets, often packed in with other films of a similar nature or from director Clarke. On 10 Sep 2007 a special edition DVD (released in collectibleSteelBookpackaging) was released by theBBC.Extra features on the special edition include:

• An introduction to the film byDavid Leland
• A documentary on the life's work of Alan Clarke
• Timewatch:A documentary exploring the roots of football hooliganism
• The Late Show:Panel discussion and critical reaction to the film
• Audio commentary withPhil DavisandLesley Manville

A version of the film with censored scenes restored from tape (including a more graphic version of Bex's blinding of Oboe, a scene of Bex mock-raping his wife, and Bex performing a knife attack on Yeti'sprivate parts) was included in the 2016 DVD setAlan Clarke at the BBC, Volume 2: Disruption,and also released as a stand-alone DVD, both under theBFI's auspices and guidance.

Remake

The story was adapted byNick Loveintothe 2009 film of the same name.

External links

• The FirmatIMDb
• The Firmat theBritish Film Institute'sScreenonline
• The FirmatAllMovie