BLOOD

UK, 2012, 92 minutes, Colour.

Paul Bethany, Mark Strong, Brian Cox, Stephen Graham, Ben Crompton, Natasha Little, Adrian Edmondson, Nick Murphy.
Directed by Nick Murphy.

Blood is an interesting drama. It is a police drama, based on a television series on the BBC in 2003.

The focus is on two brothers who are policeman, influenced by their father, now retired with touches of dementia, who was also a significant policeman in the Wirrell. The main brother is played by Paul Bettany, a versatile actor, who has failed in a previous investigation and feels guilt, and impelled to hunt down murderers. He seizes an opportunity when a schoolgirl girl is murdered and a listed paedophile is suspected. He brutalises the suspect, killing him and burying him. The man is innocent. The complication is that his younger brother, who looks up to him, is asked to participate but is troubled by his conscience and eventually reveals the truth.

He is played by Stephen Graham. Impressively present, as always, is Brian Cox as the father who is more alert to the situation than anticipated.

Also present is the police officer, strict, wanting to find the truth, played well by Mark Strong.

The film is quite brief, moves with some pace, creates strong characters, puts them in difficult situations, especially with moral dilemmas.

1. The title? Based on a television series, Conviction? Blood and death, the killing of Jason? Blood relationships, father, rivers?

2. The Wirrell, the English coast, the island, the town, police officers, homes, pubs, the church? Authentic feel? The musical score?

3. The opening with the murder, the young girl, her age, being found, the three police, the suspicions of Jason as a paedophile, his record? Going to the church, looking to him, the interrogation, his mental condition, his lies about the girl, about the chain? The official interrogation, the window and all the staff watching? The chief, having to release Jason, lack of evidence?

4. Joe as the centre of the story, in himself, his relationship with his wife, his daughter? His father and caring for him, the Alzheimer’s? His mistake in the past case, his guilt, embarrassment? His father commenting on this? His relationship with his brother, Chrissie, the memories of the coast and buttoning their coats? Working with Robert, diligence? Desperate for a conviction, the presumption of Jason’s guilt, going to the church, taking him, angry at his release? Abducting him, getting him to dig the hole on the island, making him lie in it, brutalising a confession, hitting him with a shovel, Jason’s death, burying him? Chrissie present, the father in the back seat? Joe and his being disturbed? The wife, the anniversary, the tension, the drinking? Covering up the killing?

5. Chrissie, the younger brother, his police work, admiring Joe, his girlfriend, the celebration, engagement party, the abduction, his watching, reaction? Uncomfortable with Joe? Helping Jason’s mother and Joe being upset? Telling the truth to his girlfriend?

6. Robert, strong police work, lacking relationships, people trying to set him up, his response? The case, his concern about Joe?

7. The boy, in the old cinema, the discovery of the truth, the boys murdering the girl?

8. The father, wandering into the office, Alzheimer’s, the memories of his wife, of his boys? His drinking? Being in the back of the car, the U pass, later and his wanting to take the blame?

9. Joe moving the body, the search on the island? Joe at home, his daughter’s reaction, his wife?

10. The effect of Joe’s guilt on everyone? Disappointment, disillusionment?

11. The finale of Joe walking towards the island in the water?