THE LIFE OF STUFF
UK, 1997, 90 minutes, Colour.
Mabel Aitken, Ewan Bremner, Liam Cunningham, Jason Flemyng, Ciaran Hinds, Jenny Mc Crindle, Gina Mc Kee, Stuart Mc Quarrie.
Directed by Simon Donald.
The Life of Stuff was a very successful play on London’s West End and winner of awards. Simon Donald, author and director, also received awards. However, it seems a great mistake to transfer this kind of play to the screen unless it is opened out and made cinematic. Instead, Donald who wrote the screenplay, confines his action to interiors except for an alley scene. He also retains a great deal of the dialogue which means that it is a very wordy film, too much for cinema audiences.
On one level, it is very mundane with its focus on extremely unlikable characters: the brutal manager of a club, an affluent dilettante who is on drugs most of the time, and the women who come with him for the party, a man who is involved in insurance fraud, a drug addict discarded by the wealthy man, a tough criminal and criminal associates. They spend most of the time confronting each other, shouting and bickering, taking drugs, a succession of brutal events while an incessant amount of talking. Towards the end there is a big philosophical speech about what it is to be human, to be alive, what is the stuff of life and the life of stuff.
There will be few audiences who will be prepared to give their full attention and time to this film. In fact, it has a very strong British cast, many of whom were to make their mark in films and television in succeeding years.
1.The impact of the film? Interest, lack of interest? Characters, unsympathetic?
2.The film based on a play, the action confined to interiors, the emphasis put on dialogue, transferred from the theatre? The visual cinematic style – but the theatrical action and dialogue?
3.The Scottish setting, the Scottish background? The dismal interiors of the club? The basement? The alleyways? The panels – and characters crawling through ventilation tunnels? The ugliness of the locations? The style of colour photography?
4.The editing, the intercutting of the scenes, the various subplots?
5.The initial monologue by Alex Snedden, his attack on Willie, his threatening revenge? The irony of what happened to him, his body in the back of the van, the explosions? His survival and his arrival?
6.Abogast, his physical presence, his comments about the club, his treatment of the two girls, wanting them to clean, their wanting to party? His working for Willie, the party? His having Frazer in his underwear in the basement, keeping him there? The issue of the insurance and the explosion? Janice and her presence? His use of Leonard and the clashes with him, the loud music, getting him to do jobs? The other members of the staff? His confrontations, his self-confidence? The final violence and his comeuppance?
7.Willie, wealthy, continually on drugs, wanting the party, the women, his discarding Janice? The turning of the tables, his being threatened, the violence?
8.The women, cleaners, dressing up for the party, wanting the drugs, hangers-on, crawling through the ventilation system? The interactions with Abogast, with Leonard? Willie?
9.Janice, her appearance, sick, addict, discarded by Willie? In the basement, the long discussions with Frazer?
10.Frazer, the insurance scam, bombing the van, his being burnt? In the basement, his ambitions in life, treatment by Abogast, talking with Janice?
11.Leonard, the music, his work around the club? The other members of the staff?
12.A film showing the world of clubs, the world of petty crime, the world of drugs? An ugly side of life?
13.The meaning of the title – too ponderous for this kind of film and exploration of themes, despite the long philosophical speech by Alex Snedden?
