NEDS

UK, 2010, 124 minutes, Colour.

Conor McCarron, Greg Forrest, Joe Szula, Mhairi Anderson, Gary Milligan, Gary Lewis.

Directed by Peter Mullan.

Peter Mullan has had many decades strong career as an actor, in his native Scotland, and around the world, a distinctive screen presence. Great success with The maudlin Sisters and then Neds. Ned is one several Scottish BAFTA awards for best film and director.

The setting is Glasgow, 1970. The title refers to Non—Educated Delinquents, Needs. The film focuses on a young boy, John McGill (Greg Forrest) who is finishing in primary school with some success at his graduation, happy family, encouraging and visiting from America that he become a journalist, he very bookish and intelligent boy. However, there is a shadow with his older brother who is a delinquent with a bad reputation.

Then there is the drama of the transition from primary school to secondary school, the system of allotting students to classes, John feeling that he is in the wrong class, some brutal treatment from teachers, ridicule, and the shadow of his our brothers reputation. The father at home is alcoholic, brutal and shouting. The mother’s long-suffering. With a particular bully, John gets the help of his brother and the gang brutalising as John watches. A sign of things to come.

The main part of the film has John in his mid teens, played ball by, McCarron, still bookish, but becoming more defiant, caught up in the activity of the students, defying teachers in class, gradually a transition to becoming part of delinquent gangs, involved in fights and brutality.

Perhaps the film could have ended there as a moral warning. However, Peter Mullan screenplay continues with an opportunity for John to come to some kind of awareness of what has happened to him, making an option for a transition, a change of heart, a change of behaviour, and some prospects for the future.

For a Scottish audience, the Glasco accent is not a problem – but, for those outside Glasco, often very difficult to hear and understand, the need for a reliance on subtitles.

1. The title, an abbreviation for non-Educated Delinquents?
2. The Scottish atmosphere, the city of Glasgow, the neighbourhood, homes, streets, parks, school, gangs and thugs? The accent – and difficulties for audiences without some subtitled help? The musical score? The music and songs of the 1970s, atmosphere?
3. The story of John McGill, Glasgow 1970, at primary school, the end of year and his awards, family, his aunt from the US and her encouraging him to journalism, at home, the alcoholic father and his solemn behaviour and shouting, his mother and her care, the older brother and his being a delinquent, the treatment of John at school, the new school, the bullying, Kanter, John going to his brother, the taking of Kanter and the brutality as John watched? The ambiguity for his character, keen reading, book 1, clever, in class, the role of the teachers and getting him to answer? But the bullies and the mockery?
4. The new school, the allotting of classes, his being put in the wrong class, the behaviour of the teachers, the strap, severity, John going to the principal, a hangover from his brother’s bad behaviour, in the class? The effect on him?
5. The moments of background of religion, the church, the communion sequence?
6. John, older, the years passing, his love of learning? But the pressure, the bullying, his change of attitude, the defying of the teachers? His behaviour with the other students, the boys, interactions with the girls?
7. Audience response to his change of character, moving with the boys, the pictures of the gangs, the interactions, the gangs respect for his brother, his confrontation with the earlier bully, Kanter? The scenes of the gangs, on the bridge, the fights?
8. The consequences for John, change of character, his aunt’s visit and her surprise? His relationship with his mother?
9. A surly teenager, moments of brutality and violence, the breaking down of his ideals?
10. The confrontation, the motivation for his change of heart, the possibility for some kind of personal conversion, his taking action, improvement and development – and some hope for the future?