FILTH
UK, 2013, 97 minutes, Colour.
James Mc Avoy, Imogen Poots, Jamie Bell, Gary Lewis, Jim Broadbent, Shirley Henderson.
Directed by Jon S. Baird.
Filth is not the most attractive title for a film – and audiences seeking it out will not be too disappointed. Audiences who find themselves watching Filth may well be put off by the character at the centre of this film, his behaviour, his generally unredeemed qualities.
The film is based on a novel by Irving Welsh, well-known as an author as well as for the film version of his Trainspotting, 1996, a story of Edinburgh and the drug culture, directed by Danny Boyle. There was a version of his novel, Ecstasy, in 2011, a film about drugs and clubbing which did not make the same impact as Trainspotting. Filth goes a long way to living up to Trainspotting’s impact and reputation.
It comes as something of a surprise to find that the central character is a detective in Edinburgh. The film opens with a racist murder and the police mobilising to investigate. The audience sees who the killers are, a gang of would-be toughs in the city, but the mechanics of the investigation are left in the background of the film. James Mc Avoy’s character, Bruce, begins a narration. Some of it is realistic, some of it is fantasy. The image of his wife (who may or may not be around) and her sexuality continues to enter his consciousness. He also suffers from depression, is drug-addicted and seems, at times, to have a sexual addiction. To that extent, his life is filthy.
What he is up to is to get himself promoted and he introduces us to each of the rivals in the office, mainly men, one woman. For a considerable part of the time we see him bad-mouthing, undermining the reputation of the various candidates. One of them is on his side, a young hopeful, but also with drug and sex problems, played by Jamie Bell. Another is quite a good natured, rather unsuspicious policeman played by Gary Lewis (who was Jamie Bell’s father in Billy Elliot). There is also another man from the office, with Bruce having an affair with his wife behind his back. And, to him, the efficient female police officer, Amanda (Imogen Poots) is hardly worth consideration. Another man in the office is gay and Bruce capitalises on this to undermine his reputation. So, not an attractive scenario for us to be participants in.
As Bruce goes about his work, stopping off to his various indulgences, he also has interviews with a psychologist, played with an insinuating and teasing voice by Jim Broadbent. Sometimes hard to tell whether that interviews are real or in Bruce’s imagination.
Bruce also has another victim, Bladesey, who is part of the Freemason brotherhood that the police chief belongs to as does Bruce, a pressure group for the management of law and order in the city. Bruce has some time off and takes Bladesey to Hamburg and leads him on a series of sexual adventures which have a bad effect on Bladesey and he finds himself in prison when back at home and accused of being a pervert. Meanwhile, Bruce has set up a liaison with Bladesey’s wife (Shirley Henderson).
This makes it sound something of a wallow in some misery and filth and psychological disturbance. And it is. What makes it different from other similar stories is the intensity of the performances, the realism and surrealism of the writing as well as many experimental-style techniques in communicating Bruce’s consciousness.
One might say this is a very clever film, as an appeal for audiences interested in the offbeat, but may well be a turn-off for a lot of audiences who prefer their films as portraying humanity rather than a self-inflicted inhumanity.
1. The title, human nature, Bruce and his life?
2. The work of Irvine Welsh, his novels, film adaptations?
3. Scottish story, Edinburgh, the opening, the explanation, the images? Edinburgh and the streets, the police station, flats and homes? The excursion to Hamburg?
4. The range of songs, lyrics, the comment on characters and action?
5. The initial murder, the Japanese student, walking along the underpass, the thugs, the beating? The woman walking along the path, Carol – or Bruce in drag? This aspect real or hallucinatory? The investigation? The captain, his team, Bruce and Amanda, the audience not seeing much of the investigation, knowing who the killers were? The newspapers and the focus on the victim?
6. The drugs, the dealers, cash, the clubs, Bruce and drugs, Ray and drugs, the effect?
7. Sexual preoccupation, Bruce, Carol and her dress, teasing? Chrissie? Bunty? Masturbation, pornography? The Christmas episode in the office and the photocopies? Measurements in size? Hamburg, the prostitutes? Sex and violence? The role of wives, affairs, leaving?
8. Homosexuality, Peter, partners, clubs, talk, Hamburg, the club in the visitor, Peter put it in difficult situations, the graffiti in the toilet? The boss and the discussions about him?
9. Animation, reality, animal heads, credibility?
10. The portrait of Bruce, confiding in the audience, looking at the audience, the street and the bagpipes? His ambitions, describing all his colleagues, downgrading them, undermining them, the visuals, manipulation and destruction, sex, drugs, graffiti, backstabbing? His own personal disintegration, Carol absent, drugs and hallucination, Clifford, sex and pills, Bladesey and his calling him a pervert, in prison, despising people? The women, his collapse? Ambulance, wife and scarf?
11. Carol, her teasing, Chrissie and the affair, her husband, Bunty and her husband? Liking women? Misogyny?
12. In the office, the boss, discussions, the Freemasons meeting, the influence of the Freemasons, Bladesey and the brotherhood, expectations of Bruce? Amanda, her help, his despising her? Ray as his friend? Peters victim? Using people’s wives?
13. His continual talk about the promotion? Manoeuvres?
14. The interviews with the psychiatrist, real or surreal, the pills?
15. Audiences sharing Bruce’s experiences, depression, self-image, self-loathing, destroying others, exploiting people, drugs, sex, psychological disintegration?
