Made in Britain

The extremely talented Tim Roth made his acting debut with this powerful little drama. Roth plays Trevor, a teen aged skinhead with no regard for the rules of society. As the story opens, he's being sent to a detention centre while authorities try to decide what to do about him. He doesn't have any real interest in changing his ways, and would prefer to spend his time stealing things, spouting racial hatred, and being a public nuisance in general.

One can tell that 'Made in Britain' was originally made for television. It doesn't attempt to be overtly cinematic, but then it doesn't need to. David Leland wrote the intelligent script, making this an "angry young man" story with a memorable central character. One watches this unfold, doubtful that Trevor will be redeemable at some point, and only vaguely hopeful. When officials try to show him the error of his ways, he shows no interest. His compulsive need to defy authority overrides everything, and he simply refuses to stay out of trouble.

Directed by Alan Clarke ("Scum"), and scored by anarchist musicians The Exploited, this gets a lot of juice from the magnetic performance by Roth. I'm sure people who watched 'Made in Britain' when it was new could sense a brilliant career in the making. Roth is also very nicely supported by Terry Richards, as the impressionable Errol, Bill Stewart, as Peter, Geoffrey Hutchings, as the superintendent, and Sean Chapman ("Hellraiser" 1 and 2) as Barry.

Highly recommended viewing.

Eight out of 10.

The late great Alan Clarke (Scum) brings us Made in Britain, a tough and uncompromising (though not actually physically violent) character study of a bored and angry teenager, played by Tim Roth, one of 'Fatcher's' children. The films rather flat narrative follows (both in terms of plot and camera movement) him through his refusal to 'conform' to the authority. Contrary to what a previous reviewer has said, it was not the intention for us, the audience, to believe that he must be forced to conform. The key in the film is that he never does conform, and that for all his obvious faults (racism and rebellion, it seems, a product of a right-wing and suppressive society) he retains the courage to stick to what he believes in. Rather than an anti-hero, Tim Roth's character seems to be more of a anarchist anti-authoritarian (rather like Alan Clarke himself) who is locked away for admitting to what he believes in.

So if you're in the mood, settle back and watch a film that packs a powerful punch. Probably most enjoyable if you're a little bit of an anarchist yourself (everyone else will most likely just be offended by it). Damned authority.

Finally got to watch this movie. So true its worth watching even just to watch those expressions. We got a young and promising Tim Roth here playing Trevor the juvenile delinquent skin head. I watched it a second time before deciding to write this review. The first time I felt for the guy, I always felt somewhat that way for the underdog star that rebels against the straight ways of the society we live in. However watching it a second time i realized how annoying he is and how true it is that nobody was giving him any trouble whatsoever and that indeed he was always the one to bring it on himself. Everybody around him does nothing but try to help, OK he says he does not need any help, wants to be left in peace to do whatever he wants, but does that include having him allow others to live in peace? I love it towards the end he really loses it.

Tim Roth blasted to the forefront of edgy screen actors with this bravura tour-de-force performance for British TV in 1982. Perhaps the finest work of an actor who has had many great performances since. It's a crying shame that most of his fans in North America have yet to see it.

This film blows me away. First saw it ages ago when Public TV in NYC daringly broadcast it unheralded and only one time. They've never shown it again, nor has it ever been shown elsewhere in the US to my knowledge. I was ecstatic recently when I managed to view the film again, for the first time in over 10 years, via a European DVD. Anyone who has seen this film knows what I mean when I say it is insane for it NOT to be released on this side of the Pond. Movies about violent youths and skinheads are not unknown over here, just not this good. The recent American History X, as fine as it was, doesn't manage a fraction of the raw intensity of Made in Britain.

Trevor, a bright, autonomous, 16 year-old is also a seething, out-of-control deeply antisocial skinhead. He's not part of a gang, not part of a clique, he's a totally alienated individual who sees himself as part of a movement. It's not enough to say that Roth is totally believable in the part. The part itself is way, way beyond your expectations when watching a film. Trevor "acts out", but Roth doesn't "act" Trevor, Roth IS Trevor for the duration of this film. Seeing Tim Roth for the first time in this film, you wouldn't initially be sure you were watching an actor play a part. For a while you might believe you were watching a real documentary about a berserk youth committing petty crimes and mayhem and oblivious to the camera. Only through the dramatic pace and development of the film and the inclusion of other, mere mortal, actors might you let the magic slip momentarily and suspect you were watching a fictional movie, but the intensity ratchets up again, and before you know it you're looking at the end-credits and wondering why it's over and wanting more, more!

Trevor on the surface is a deplorable human being: hateful, racist, selfish and violent. At the same time, he is resourceful, intelligent, and in some ways, fragile, yet in others, daring, nothing-left-to-lose. His behavior is self-destructive, his future is bleak. In short, he is fascinating and you spend the whole short 73-minute film alternately shocked, transfixed, amused, bewildered and yet, pulling for him.

If you've seen Tim Roth's other work, and you respect his abilities, you owe it to yourself to do whatever you have to do to see this film. You won't regret it. Meanwhile, someone should cut a deal to release this in North America so all of Tim Roth's hungry fans can see it!

I was lucky enough to get this on DVD for £5 and when I bought it, I knew little about it. Upon first viewing I was amazed at the performance of Tim Roth playing Trevor because he was believable and he brought realism to the character. I could see how this created controversy being broadcasted on television but this is commendable. The script is excellent by David Leland who went on to co-write Mona Lisa starring Bob Hoskins. It is these sorts of films and actors that make me proud to be British and I recommend this to everyone if you can find it. 9 out of 10.