Book description
An unusually brilliant generation of film-makers emerged from
British television drama in the 1960-70s - none more formidable than
Alan Clarke. Yet Clarke enjoyed only a vague renown among the public,
even though some of his most incendiary productions - Scum, The Firm,
Made in Britain - attracted great controversy. But he was greatly
admired by his fellow professionals: 'He became the best of all of
us', Stephen Frears observed after Clarke's untimely death in 1990. In
his work Clarke explored working-class lives and left-wing themes with
unflinching directness and humour. He forged alliances with gifted
writers and producers, and his facility for encouraging stunning
performaces (from Gary Oldman, Tim Roth, Ray Winstone) made him a hero
amongst actors. As a man, Clarke's wit, vigour and generosity were
legendary. Yet he retained a privacy which made him enigmatic and
imbued his work with much of its austere radiance. This volume is a
tribute to Clarke, made out of the thoughts and memories of those who
worked with him and knew him best, and includes a celebatory essay by
eminent critic, David Thomson.
Richard T Kelly is the author of the novels Crusaders (2008) and The
Possessions of Doctor Forrest (2011). Eclipse, his first script for
television, aired on Channel 4 in 2010. He has written several studies
of filmmakers: Alan Clarke (1998), The Name of this Book is Dogme 95
(2000), and the authorized biography Sean Penn: His Life & Times
(2004). In 2007 he edited Ten Bad Dates with De Niro: A Book of
Alternative Film Lists. He blogs at http://richard-t-kelly. blogspot.
com.
