Overlooked yet unforgettable (Nil By Mouth).

We are all aware of the massive impact British films have had on our cinema screens over the last decade. From such global British successes as Trainspotting, the Harry Potter films and the recent Kings Speech, British cinema has made a rather impressive name for itself in the film industry worldwide. However, attaining such a status is an arduous process which has left many independent gems buried and forgotten in its wake.

One such overlooked arthouse film is Gary Oldman’s 1997 gritty drama Nil By Mouth. A realistic, semi-autobiographical depiction of life in the poverty-stricken estates of South East London, this film is both poignant and shocking. It unflinchingly follows the ups-and-downs of a single working class family battling against the harsher realities of life. Raymond – a powerful performance by Ray Winstone – is the head of the family and the violent, alcoholic husband of Valerie – a stunning, award winning performance by Kathy Burke. As the film delves deeper into the dark and twisted lives of Raymond, Valerie and Valerie’s drug addicted brother Billy, the viewer becomes increasingly drawn in to the family’s day-to-day life. Even at the most traumatic and brutal scenes, it is impossible to look away. The film is compulsively watchable and this is the key to the genius behind Gary Oldman’s work. Each character feels so personal and is executed so perfectly, that the film carries with it a sense of eerie verisimilitude which leaves a permanent imprint upon the audience’s mind.

Oldman achieves this by not taking the easy path of condemning the abuser and revering the victim, an approach that compels empathy for the characters. Although not excused, even the atrocities committed by Raymond do not make him into a monster. He is depicted as a doting father to his daughter and in one exceedingly private scene; he reveals the unfathomable wound left by his father’s lack of affection. It is painfully distressing that, whilst all Raymond strives for is to be loved and to not emulate the footsteps of his own alcoholic father, he falls into the same pattern of behaviour. The script serves to support these complex characters and talented acting. When asked by his wife why he hurts her, Raymond replies “because I love you”, and in some ways we are forced to understand his twisted logic. Nothing is black and white in this film and you get a sense that it probably caused Oldman pain to depict, in such realistic terms, the memories from his childhood.

Never is this more apparent than in the infamous scene in which Raymond, in a drunken fit of jealousy, attacks his pregnant wife. Despite the violence being out of the frame, the scene is so vivid and the build up so tense that it never fails to leave the viewer unmoved. Yet the film is not just violent outbursts and uncomfortable suspense. The affection between the characters serves to fragment the more intense scenes and it is at these moments that the film really displays its artistic charm. Oldman uses stunning urban cinematography of the concrete-jungle estates and a soundtrack that was made specifically for the film to convey the unbreakable ties that one suspect are the only lifelines keeping these characters afloat.

Like life, Nil By Mouth does not have a neat ending; it does not wrap everything up nicely. As the door closes in the final scene and the window into Ray and Valerie’s life is shut, we imagine the characters continue the same struggle. Conversely, it is as if the film does not alter the lives of the characters, but instead transcends the cinema screen to affect the audience. It leaves the viewer with a profound sense that whatever happens, life goes on and you can only make do with what you have.