PURELY BELTER
UK, 1999, 90 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Mark Herman.
Purely Belter will have mainly local appeal, to football fans in the north of England. The film shows the landscapes, and the Angel, of the north in great detail.
The film is a story of friendship between two boys, the ups and downs, as well as the background of their families and absent fathers.
The football is important, a kind of cult and ritual – and an amusing ending.
Direction is by Mark Herman who made quite an impact with Brassed Off and Little Voice.
1.Impact of a small British film? British story? Children, families, sport?
2.The title, local tone, purely belter meaning wonderful? For these families it was not a wonderful life.
3.The Newcastle settings, the city, sports arenas, the Angel of the North, the waterfront, the streets, shops, the bank, courts, pubs, school? Real and authentic atmosphere? Musical score?
4.The portrait of a city, its way of life, opportunities and lack of opportunities, families and children, single parents, irresponsibility, social workers, the school, the good and the bad teachers, the police, the clergy, a cross-section of the Newcastle world?
5.Gerry and Sam, their friendship, their ages, bonds between them, the love of sport, stealing the turf from the oval and being caught, the rounds to get money for their goal, season tickets? The mud, the scrap iron in the streets, the old dealers, the woman giving the fridge, exchanging it for the cuckoo clock, their various schemes, getting into trouble – ultimately to the bank robbery, inept, lack of experience, into the courts? Community service – serving the old people with their meals, finally getting balcony view of the football matches?
6.Gerry, his age, love for his mother, her illness, the absent father, abusive, coming to the house, taking his money? His sister and her baby, her mother looking after the baby? Maureen as the social worker, her help, mutual support, moving homes, the homes always smaller? His buying and selling with Sam, the cuckoo clock? A sad life, determined not to go to school, persuaded by the bribe for the football tickets? (And the irony that they were for Sunderland and that they had to go and watch the match in the middle of the enemy?) The teacher with reading from Macbeth, Gerry’s poor reading, the snide remarks of the teacher, the sympathetic teacher and getting Gerry to tell his story about his first football match, telling the story with emotion – and then the audience finding that it was Sam’s story and the way that Sam told it? The passing of time and the seasons, friendships, the girls, Sam and his love for the girlfriend and the tangles, his mother being ill, going to the pub to see his father, going to the bank, the robbery attempt? The friendship with Sam and Sam being slow? The court, the social work?
7.Sam, his age, slow-witted, friendly, his father and his loss of memory and the detail of life at home, his love for the girl, her older boyfriend, the hockey match and his being bashed? Sharing experiences with Gerry, in the mud getting the scrap iron, trying to sell it?
8.The picture of parents, Sam’s father and his mental deterioration, Gerry and his kind mother, her illness? His father, absent, at the pub, his father singing with such feeling ‘You are always on my mind’ and yet the lyrics giving the exact opposite to what his life was like? His sudden death, the funeral, audiences thinking the mother had died, their laughing at the minister’s comments?
9.Maureen, her kindness, support? The judge and the sentence for community service, the genial old people for the meals?
10.The bank robbery, inept, pretending to have guns, the tellers and their reactions?
11.The picture of the teachers, the scene in the classroom, in the dining room and Gerry not wanting the gravy, the teacher attacking him, a waste of space? The kindlier teacher and her listening to his story?
12.A glimpse of characters in their situation – portrayal, insight?
