OFFENDER

UK, 2012, 102 minutes, Colour.
Joe Cole, English Frank, Kimberley Nixon, Shaun Dooley.
Directed by Ron Scalpello.

Offender is a tough prison film from the United Kingdom. It has been compared to other films with young prisoners, especially Alan Clarke’s classic, Scum.

The film focuses on a young man who deliberately bashes a policeman, is arrested, is sent to jail. He is played with strength and surliness by Joe Cole. After landing in prison, and confronting some of the other prisoners, it emerges that he has deliberately put himself there. It is to seek revenge on the men who attacked his pregnant girlfriend, brutalised her, disfigured her, especially because she was pregnant. The young man ingratiate himself with some prisoners, antagonises others, all with a plan to kill the attackers on his girlfriend, their parole officer.

The prison scenes are familiar and strongly portrayed. One item of interest is the portrayal of the Muslim prisoners, their devoutness, they’re assembling for prayer, their proselytising and their making converts.

Another feature is the presentation of the guards, one a particularly sadistic man who is a former soldier, begrudges the prisoners their comforts and complains that they are better off than he is.

Tough going but an interesting psychological study of the tormented man.

1. The title, its meaning, irony?

2. The British tone of the film, the situation, criminals, prisons, parole?

3. The city sequences, the robberies, riots, shootings, the bashings? The parole officer? The flashbacks of tenderness? The musical score?

4. Prisoners, at reception, the officers, the routines of search, strip, clothes, the corridors, cells, meals, the yard, showers, the visuals of the prison, the riots, fights?

5. Audience attitude towards Tommy, the initial bashing, his tough stances, ugly? The police, the arrest, the wounds, put into prison?

6. In prison, the memories, the explanation of why he was there, love, the pregnant girlfriend, the being bashed, the ugliness of the situation, she thinking herself ugly, that she could not be loved, leaving?

7. Tommy and his motivation, vengeance, the targets, watching them?

8. The targets in prison, the background of their robbing, the leader, his hold over the others, the violence? In prison, the pairs, taunting, the prisoner and his being wounded with the razor?

9. Life in prison, the guards, the ex-soldiers, their laughing and leering at the prisoners, exercise of violence, the leader and his past, the drugs and his participation? Supervision, taking the sneakers and saying he was entitled to them, the officer arguing against him, the explanation, the ex-soldier saying that he had been hard done by and with the prisoners who lived comfortable lives? His being challenged, the fight in the dining room, his being battered? The other guards? The warder and not wanting things to happen on his watch?

10. The Muslim prisoners, the proselytising, with the black prisoners, joining the movement, joining in prayer, conversion experience, the rituals? The Muslim contact with Tommy, his fear for his daughter’s life?

11. Tommy, his friends, talking, in the yard? His attacking the man in the shower, death?

12. The black prisoner and his wanting to help, the confrontation, being hurt, the man explaining the threats to him? Tommy and solitude, stripped, the woman officer and getting him out?

13. The plan, the table issues and the riot, Tommy and the confrontation, the fight, the knife, death?

14. The black prisoner, his visitors, getting out?

15. Tommy, his place in prison, new respect? A different life in store for him?