THE SILENCE
UK/Ireland, 2009, 220 minutes, Colour.
Douglas Henshall, Genevieve Barr, Dervla Kirwan, Hugh Bonneville, Gina Mc Kee,
Directed by Dearbhla Walsh.
The Silence is an interesting television/miniseries. While the setting is south-west England, a country town and the city of Bristol, filming was done in Ireland. This serves well especially for the suburban nature of the film, houses and streets.
The film opens with the murder of an informant and the detective, Jimmy (Douglas Henshall) investigating. The victim is a policewoman who was in a secret relationship with one of the other policeman, boxing champion who trains during the film and builds up to his championship about.
The other central character is Amelia, hearing impaired, who has had operations and an implant to help her hear and speak better, her mother, Gina Mc Kee, very concerned about her daughter’s hearing, her father, Hugh Bonneville, rather more laid back – leading to the crises when husband and wife speaks some basic truths to each other.
Amelia witnesses the murder of a policewoman, is afraid for her life, confides in Jimmy, reads lips on some surveillance tapes, transcribes the conversations, which lead to information that there is a group of corrupt police, thwarting the criminal gangs by taking drugs and distributing them.
The domestic side of the film involves Jimmy’s family, his loving wife who wants to support him and his move for a promotion, but regrets his time away from home, his sometimes short fuse. His three children find him hard, a daughter who is keeping company with a drug dealer in the district, an older boy who is resentful of his father and who is arrested in a frame up by the corrupt police, accused of drug use and spending a night in jail, while the youngest boy, very frank in expression, is still at school.
After Amelia witnesses the murder, the tensions grow, pressures on the family and dangers, the confrontation between Jimmy and the corrupt police, his working outside the protocols, internal affairs and their interrogation of him – all building up to a dramatic climax, although some viewers have found the final scenes of the film unsatisfactory, probably underestimating the more subtle meaning of the finale.
1. Television film/series? British setting, filmed in Ireland?
2. Police story, crimes, investigations, criminal gangs, police corruption? Domestic stories? The combination of these elements?
3. The locations, the suburbs, homes, streets and parks, the gymnasium, police headquarters? The musical score?
4. The prologue, the informant, the murder, the acts, the beginnings of the investigation?
5. The focus on Amelia, hearing impaired, the implant, the concern of her parents, the issue of finance, her mother and her deep concern, the operation, the tutors and the staff, her progress, hearing, speaking? The ability to hear and speak, the possibility of removing the implant and its effect? The psychological pressure on her, her reactions, emotional, especially to her mother?
6. The situation, staying with Jim and Maggie and the family, the bonds between them, uncle, aunt and cousins? Her having a break, going for the walk, the dog, witnessing the killing, seeing the killer, her fear, losing the implant connection, wanting to remain anonymous, not speaking up? With Jimmy, his protection, the secret, her telling the truth, looking at the tapes, lip-reading and the information, transcribing the dialogue? Away from her parents, their concern? The information, going to the gym, seeing Rocky and the murdered policewoman? Going to the clubs with Jimmy, recognising the killers? The photos, the threats? Escape, going to Bristol, with the police, wanting to stay in custody, protection, the irony of the interpreter arriving and her connection with the killer? Amelia running away, going to the club, Rocky and his fight, confronting Rocky? Her being reunited with the family? Solving the mystery?
7. Jimmy, his life, his family, love for his wife, reaction to his children and their response to him, seeing him as hard? The cases, the issue of promotion? Investigating the axe killing of the informant? The police chief, his mentor? Tensions at home, the support of his wife, yet her exasperation? Time away, the emotional effect on everyone, on the children? Amelia and the invitation to stay, her walking the dog, witnessing the murder, his response to her revelation, keeping it secret, going against police protocols, the dangers for investigations from internal affairs? The tapes, the transcriptions? Learning of the police corruption, the challenge? The club, the boxing, Rocky and his bout? The growing dangers for his family, the threats, at work, his assistant and the investigation? The professional standards, interviewing him, going to his boss, giving the tapes, the boss denying all? The corrupt police, their presence, confidence, the attitude of menace, working on fears, his wife at the market, the psychologist and the interpreter, her relationship with the corrupt policeman? Building up to the confrontation, the risks, his being alone, his injury, trying to save Amelia?
8. His wife, her devotion, the family, with each of the children, the daughter and her boyfriend and his being a dealer, her offhand manner? The altar son, his secrets, going out? The younger boy, still at school, his blunt comments? Helping Amelia, knowing the secrets? The growing tensions, the dangers, the information to Amelia’s mother and father, their visits, the phone calls and contacts? The children, the boy at school, the older boy and the drugs and his being away from home, his arrest, in the cell, resentment towards his father? The girl, the dealer? The father and his concern, in the car, the protection?
9. Amelia’s parents, the past, her deafness, the mother and concern, wanting some kind of healing, the father being more passive? The operation, the development? Amelia and her reaction, the truth and her anxiety? The parents and their concern, the father and his hostility towards Jimmy? The threats? His backing down?
10. The corrupt police, the drug deals, the head, his assistance, the translator and her relationship with the killer? The role of the police chief?
11. Some complaints about the story just stopping, but in fact, the resolution, Rocky and the beginning of the championship bout, the challenge to him, Jimmy’s previous challenges and accusations, the pressures from the corrupt police, Amelia and her arrival, challenge, his walking away?
