EDEN LAKE
UK, 2008, 91 minutes, Colour.
Kelly Riley, Michael Fassbender, Jack O’ Connell, Thomas Turgoose.
Directed by James Watkins.
Eden Lake sounds very placid and, indeed, the lake is. It is just that the violent episodes at the lake are far from placid.
While this terror film (no supernatural suggestions for the terror, just plain brutality from young thugs) takes its audience into familiar territory: a young couple on a quiet weekend away being hounded for their lives, this is film is a cut (actually a lot of cuts) above many similar films. This is due to the performances of Kelly Reilly, who has to bear the brunt of most of the drama, and Michael Fassbender. While there is some gore which sensitive audiences may well find too much, there is an underlying theme of the ugliness of so much of British violence today.
In the context of the UK and its concern about knife crime and the seemingly indiscriminate killings in the streets, the film seems quite relevant. It does not analyse. It just tells its story and shows a group of six teenagers with insolent attitudes, taunting the couple, becoming angry, the leader letting loose and putting fierce peer pressure on the rest of the group to indulge his growing vindictive taste for violence. Particularly repellent is the young woman who films everything on her mobile phone.
At the end we see the parents who seem to be oblivious of the behaviour of their children - and actually reinforce their children’s antisocial actions by their own attitudes and behaviour.
A terror film so well done that it is quite disturbing and, ultimately, horrifying.
1.The impact of this kind of terror film? Social concern? The background of thuggery in the United Kingdom?
2.The title, images of the lake and the woods, placid? The ironies of the plot?
3.The city locations, the school and the streets, the motorways, the village, the pub and homes, the contrast with the lake, the woods, the paths, the plant and the fences, the pylons? Authentic? The score and the moods?
4.The effect of terror on the audience, identifying with the victims, their innocence, being taunted, irritated, angry, stupid actions? Becoming vindictive? Identifying with the thugs, their attitudes, the taunts, violence, amoral stances and perspective, immoral behaviour, events beyond being able to be taken back?
5.Stephen and Jenny, the young couple, her work as a teacher, his wealth, the car, driving, the countryside, chatting, his buying the engagement ring? The stops, the night? At the pub, the future? The crowds, the rabble style? The noise? Stephen and his irritation?
6.The chain of events, the louts, the cars, the music, the noise, verbal abuse? Stephen and his going into the house, the father coming home, his getting out the window, the father complaining about Jenny’s parking? His attitude towards his son? Giving the background to the families? The mother at the diner and her comment on the children?
7.The idyllic lake, Jenny and Michael in nature, relaxing, enjoying it? The kids coming to the beach, the reactions, the loud music, the noise, the confrontations? The background of seeing the timid Indian boy in the woods? Stephen and his growing anger, Jenny trying to be calm? Preparing for the night?
8.The portrait of the group, Brett as leader, the girl and her mobile phone, the range of ages, the attitudes, noise, taunts and insults? The confrontations? The violent action? The stealing of the bag, the car keys, the car? Careering in the car?
9.Stephen and his lessening of control? His behaviour, the car, the chase? The confrontations and the crash? His being taken, tied up? Tortured and cut? Brett urging the others to cut him? Their initial reluctance? The peer pressure and their fears? Stephen’s death?
10.Jenny, trying to get to the police, becoming lost, her search, passing the night, the phone and her trying to get the police? Her watching Stephen’s death?
11.Stephen, the ring, the cuts, the death? Jenny’s reaction?
12.Her running, hiding, following the pylons, her foot injury, hiding in the hut, underwater, in the mud? Her ordeal?
13.The Indian boy, his helping Jenny, leading her to the gang, her being tied up, the fire, the Indian boy dying? The horror of a young boy dying like this?
14.Jenny getting to the town, going to the house, asking for help?
15.The group, Brett as leader, his type, the pressure, the others, the young, their being forced, the deaths? The girl and the mobile phone, her being run over?
16.The end, in the house, Brett’s return, the father and his attitude, trapping Jenny? Wanting to cover everything up? Brett and his going upstairs, the final focus on his face? The fatalism of the plot and the ending?
