Actor: |
Bernard Hill |
Actor: |
Michael Angelis |
Actor: |
Tom Georgeson |
Actor: |
Alan Igbon |
Audience Rating: |
Suitable for 15 years and over |
Certificate: |
15 |
Director: |
Philip Saville |
Edition: |
Box Set |
Genre: |
Documentary |
Manufacturer: |
2 Entertain Video |
Number Of Discs: |
3 |
Publisher: |
2 Entertain |
Region Code: |
DVD: 2/4 (Europe, Japan, Middle East...) |
Release Year: |
2003 |
Release Date: |
2003-05-26 |
Season: |
British English |
Sub- Genre: |
Drama |
Type: |
TV Series |
E A N: |
5014503117825 |
Film/ T V Title: |
Boys from the Blackstuff |
Format: |
DVD |
Encoding: |
PAL |
Language: |
English |
Features: |
Scene Selection |
Subtitle Language: |
English |
U P C: |
5014503117825 |
Alan Bleasdale's hugely acclaimed series echoes the misery and despair of long-term unemployment. Set in Liverpool, these profoundly moving human dramas follow in turn the attempts of five working-class heroes to survive.
Running Time: 306 minutes + 110 minutes approx. Alan Bleasdale's Boys from the Blackstuff gripped television audiences in 1982 with its bleak, fiercely funny exploration of the effect of the UK's economic depression on a group of Merseyside characters, originally introduced in his 1978 play, The Blackstuff. Bleasdale's writing is unsparing in both its pain and its unconditional affection for characters being pushed to the very limit of civilisation. Yosser Hughes (the outstanding Bernard Hill) is still, and rightly, recognised as one of the great creations of modern television drama: a man on the brink of madness, unlikeable, ostracised, digging a deeper hole with every desperate act, but ultimately a human being deserving our sympathy. The performances are wonderful throughout: particularly Peter Kerrigan as Malone, the once giant union leader reduced to a shadow but still with the spark that commands love and respect; Michael Angelis as Chrissie and, in a typically sharp cameo, Julie Walters as his wife. "My dreams still give me hope and faith in my class. I can't believe there's no hope," says Chrissie towards the end. And it's testament to Bleasdale's skill and the resilience of his characters that somehow, that flicker of hope remains unextinguished. The blackstuff--the tarmac--of the title becomes increasingly ironic. There is none. The boys have no work. The dole office scenes have a grimly nostalgic, documentary quality. Each second drips another droplet of disillusionment on people whose expectations are crushed by every effort to haul themselves up. Thatcher's Britain was a cruel place for many people. The unspoken question that hangs in the air after watching Bleasdale's poetic dissection of ruined lives is, have things really changed that much? Television drama doesn't come any more powerful or honest than this. On the DVD: Boys from the Blackstuff is presented in standard 4:3 TV format with a mono soundtrack that often suffers from a muffled quality. There's only one additional feature, but it's a treasure: The Blackstuff, Alan Bleasdale's original 90-minute play, is presented as a prelude to the series with the bonus of an insightful commentary from the author and the director, Jim Goddard. --Piers Ford |
We use stock images in all of our listings. Images are for illustrative purposes only. Actual item cover, artwork and / or edition may vary.
If the item is listed as used, your item will be previously owned but still in great condition. The disc will play perfectly without interruption. Case, inlay notes and sleeve may show limited signs of wear or may not be included. If the item is listed as new, your item will come brand new and wrapped in original cellophane.
All DVDs have embedded region codes, these codes are separated and administrated by geographic location (don’t forget to check our description before purchasing).
Your order might come packed in a recycled plastic mail bag. Used mail bags can be recycled via soft plastic recycling schemes operated by majority of supermarkets thourghout the UK.
We would like to advise our international customers, that the UK is now out of the EU single market and that international orders may be subject to duty, VAT, administation or clearance fees imposed by the customs in destination country.
Please feel free to contact us for any additional information regarding the item.
Powered by