Elephant
Directed by Alan Clarke, Written by Alan Clarke, Produced by Danny Boyle
Alan Clarke’s bleak film depicts a succession of eighteen violent murders around Belfast. It remains intensely ambiguous, featuring no music or commentary and very little dialogue. The killings are left unexplained and are seemingly motiveless, providing a commentary on the savagery and futility of the sectarian murders which had become a routine feature of the news in Northern Ireland at the time. Original transmission: BBC2 25/01/1989 (40mins) The title for Clarke’s drama was inspired by a quote from writer Bernard MacLaverty, claiming that the Troubles were ‘as easy to ignore as an elephant in your living-room’ for those living in Northern Ireland - but perhaps suggesting that after a time, everyone has learned to live with it.
The killings in the film are left unexplained and are seemingly motiveless, providing a commentary on the savagery and futility of the sectarian murders which had become a routine feature of the news in Northern Ireland at the time. The title for Clarke’s drama was inspired by a quote from writer Bernard MacLaverty, claiming that the Troubles were ‘as easy to ignore as an elephant in your living-room’ for those living in Northern Ireland - but perhaps suggesting that after a time, everyone has learned to live with it. After its original broadcast, newspaper reports suggested an unprecedented number of complaints to the BBC from outraged viewers across the UK, and the film was criticised by many media commentators.
Clip courtesy BBC Motion Gallery
Further Infomation
Genre
Drama/Thriller (Feature) - Broadcast
Company
BBC Northern Ireland
Release Year
1988Period Set
1980WRITER(s)/ DIRECTOR(s)/ PRODUCER(s)
Writer
Alan Clarke
Director
Alan Clarke
Producer
Danny Boyle
ACTORS
Gary Walker
Bill Hamilton
Michael Foyle
Danny Small
Robert Taylor
Joe Cauley
Joe McGee
Patrick Condren
Andrew Downs
Terry Doyle
Michael Liebmann
Gavin Bloomer
Barry Brent
Paul Nemeer
Sam Doyle
Burt Murray
B.J. Hogg