LEON THE PIG FARMER
UK, 1993, 103 minutes, Colour.
Mark Frankel, Janet Suzman, Brian Glover, Connie Booth, David de Keyser, Maryam d' Abo, Gina Bellman, Vincent Riotta, Jean Anderson, John Woodvine, Annette Crosbie, Stephen Greif.
Directed by Vadim Jean and Gary Sinyor.
Leon the Pig Farmer is a very Jewish comedy. It is set in north London among the Jewish community. Mark Frankel is a young estate agent who is too honest for the trade and ultimately resigns. This is much to the consternation of everyone including his parents, Janet Suzman and David de Keyser. When having a health check, he discovers that he is the product of artificial insemination. Later information indicates that there was a mix-up with the sperm and his actual father is a Yorkshire pig farmer. He goes to visit the farmer, stays with the farmer and his wife (Brian Glover and Connie Booth) and discovers their son (Sean Pertwee). He also makes a mistake in genetics in mixing the semen of a pig and a sheep – making a parallel with his own life, and offering jokes about kosher pigs.
The in-jokes will probably appeal to a Jewish audience in the United Kingdom as well as worldwide. Some of them are missed by the average audience. This means that at times the comedy seems rather laboured to the uninitiated.
There are many Jewish jokes, some stereotypes – and some criticisms of behaviour, double standards, goals of the Jewish community.
1.British comedy, British Jewish comedy, for the Jewish audience, non-Jewish audiences?
2.The Jewish background, customs, religion, food and diet, taboos, emphasis on marriage, career, business? Jewish jokes?
3.The London background, north London, the community, homes, workplaces, celebrations and functions? The contrast with the non-Jewish community? Homes, restaurants?
4.The contrast with Yorkshire, the farm, the countryside, the pigs?
5.The musical score, the Jewish tones, the songs?
6.The title and its irony? Leon, Jewish, his father, the issue of the hybrid animals and the image of himself and his background? The kosher pig? How well did the analogy work?
7.Leon, his age, at work, interest in detail, the selling of the home, the different measurements, his honesty, the people in the agency, his resignation? Losing the contract, the meetings, the Italians and wanting to transform Dickens’ home? (And his later seeing the Italian in a sex romp as well as at the restaurant?) His friends, Elliot? Lisa and her wanting a man of action? His parents, the surprise party, their style, all the comments, his telling about his resignation, the reaction? His brothers?
8.Madeleine, the accident on the bike, their talking, her style, her art, going to the restaurant, the issue of shellfish, the people commenting for Leon, the waiter, the pork? Madeleine and her passion? The discussion about the stained glass of Jesus, her painting a portrait of Jesus, Leon posing for her, Elliot?
9.The device of everybody that Leon encountered commenting on his behaviour, all the passers-by? The humour?
10.Leon’s health, going to the doctor, the information, the discovery about his parents, fertility, the test, discovering the mistake, the consequences? The manner of the doctor and her communicating the information?
11.The discussion with his parents, going to Yorkshire, meeting the Chadwicks, their lifestyle, their personalities, the blunt talking by Brian Chadwick? Kenneth and his place in the family? The farm, working, the breeding, the kosher pig and the mix-up? The audience never seeing the mixed animal but hearing it and hearing about it?
12.The discussions at the farm, Leon taking the pig, going to London, his parents, the explanations?
13.The visit of the Chadwicks, the meeting of the families, the talk, the pressure, Leon’s choices?
14.Lisa, her reaction?
15.Leon as a sad sack, a loser, life – but his discoveries about himself and the possibilities for the future?
