Director Alan Clarke always had a knack for spotting raw , young British acting talent . He gave breakthrough roles to Ray Winstone in SCUM and Gary Oldman in THE FIRM and in 1982 gave an unknown actor called Tim Roth the lead in this television drama from David Leland . Somewhat surprisingly it took a few years after these breakthrough roles for these three actors to become better known but the star quality all of them showed is in luminous abundance and that's all down to Clarke
Roth plays Trevor a 16 year old Nazi skinhead and what Leland's script is superb at is not portraying Trevor as some sort of misunderstood youth who is just in need of a mere cuddle but in need of some harsher measures . It makes the ironic point that bleeding heart liberals are incapable of understanding that in dealing with violent sociopaths then perhaps draconian solutions themselves bordering on fascism may be needed
Indeed Leland's script is replete with irony . Trevor painted not so much as a demon but as someone who sees himself as being merely more honest than society demands lives his life in an honest way . He is racist and wears his racism as a violent badge of honour because it's only hypocrites who don't do this . Appearing in court his caustic attitude and lack of remorse is again a badge of honour . After all it's very cowardly to show repentance and sorrow when you're in court facing serious charges especially when you're not sorry in the slightest . The only difference between Trevor and the average teenager is that Trevor's resentment and anger at the world manifests itself by actions . Remembering my own teenage years wanting to strike back at the oppressive and hypocritical and frankly BS nature of society there is an aspect of recognition that means I could empathise with Trevor and like SCUM this television play was a very memorable for any teenager who saw it . Anyone who puts a concrete slab through a jobcentre window instantly becomes a hero to an umemployed teenager
MIB does have the cajones to point out that some people are beyond redemption . You can condition people all you like but at the day some people will be always be racist ( Regardless of their colour ) and violent thugs . To their way of thinking it's the rest of society who are the bad guys because society is contradictory and ruled by hypocits and cowards . The only thing these people respect is a bloody big stick which may shock the bleeding heart liberals but is perhaps the only solution to the problem . If MIB is making the point that the solution is that there are no solutions it does so brilliantly . If there's any reason to be sad watching this it's only to lament how gutless British television has become in the 21st Century . 30 years ago Britannia ruled the television airwaves but not anymore
Roth plays Trevor a 16 year old Nazi skinhead and what Leland's script is superb at is not portraying Trevor as some sort of misunderstood youth who is just in need of a mere cuddle but in need of some harsher measures . It makes the ironic point that bleeding heart liberals are incapable of understanding that in dealing with violent sociopaths then perhaps draconian solutions themselves bordering on fascism may be needed
Indeed Leland's script is replete with irony . Trevor painted not so much as a demon but as someone who sees himself as being merely more honest than society demands lives his life in an honest way . He is racist and wears his racism as a violent badge of honour because it's only hypocrites who don't do this . Appearing in court his caustic attitude and lack of remorse is again a badge of honour . After all it's very cowardly to show repentance and sorrow when you're in court facing serious charges especially when you're not sorry in the slightest . The only difference between Trevor and the average teenager is that Trevor's resentment and anger at the world manifests itself by actions . Remembering my own teenage years wanting to strike back at the oppressive and hypocritical and frankly BS nature of society there is an aspect of recognition that means I could empathise with Trevor and like SCUM this television play was a very memorable for any teenager who saw it . Anyone who puts a concrete slab through a jobcentre window instantly becomes a hero to an umemployed teenager
MIB does have the cajones to point out that some people are beyond redemption . You can condition people all you like but at the day some people will be always be racist ( Regardless of their colour ) and violent thugs . To their way of thinking it's the rest of society who are the bad guys because society is contradictory and ruled by hypocits and cowards . The only thing these people respect is a bloody big stick which may shock the bleeding heart liberals but is perhaps the only solution to the problem . If MIB is making the point that the solution is that there are no solutions it does so brilliantly . If there's any reason to be sad watching this it's only to lament how gutless British television has become in the 21st Century . 30 years ago Britannia ruled the television airwaves but not anymore