The Selfish Giant

With the endurance of the social realist British filmmaking tradition comes the expectations of the typical tenor and topic; however, surprises still lurk within its crowded, so-called ‘kitchen sink’ midst. A familiar coming-of-age tale of childhood trouble and trauma, so commonly seen with the style’s gritty sheen, can transcend its trappings. The usual estate setting, a source of seen and unseen worries and woes, can eschew its obvious implications. Inexperienced actors, frequently cast in such features, can amaze, endear and astonish above and beyond the material.

In The Selfish Giant, the standard components come together, as do the staggering revelations only the most assured assemblages can provide, writer/director Clio Barnard (The Arbor) cognisant of the wealth of material that precedes her debut fictional film. Her effort is immersed in all the markers of its ilk, yet stands alongside Lynne Ramsay’s Ratcatcher and Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank, as a refreshing take on the tried and tested. Sourcing her content from Oscar Wilde’s children’s tale of the same name assists with Barnard’s endeavour.

Bradford lads and best friends Arbor (debutant Conner Chapman) and Swifty (fellow first-timer Shaun Thomas) are united in their pre-adolescent difficulties, both outsiders in a community unwelcoming of difference, both struggling with variable male role models, and both easy targets for mischievious distractions. The fast-talking Arbor’s influence over Swifty is unmistakeable; he easily cajoles his quieter pal into salvaging – and, more often, stealing – metal and wire to make some cash. As the much-needed money flows in, the boys pay little regard to the consequences of their actions; more so, when gruff scrapyard owner Kitten (Sean Gilder, UK TV’s Shameless) encourages then spurns their efforts.

Among a heavily-populated field of films charting comparable territory, Barnard gets everything right. The rough-around-the-edges imagery, manifested through the thoughtful lensing of cinematographer Mike Eley (Marley), embraces the darkness and the delicacy, the industrialisation and the nature of the West Yorkshire landscape; the mood, heartbreaking more often than it is hopeful, rewards in its tough voyage through tragedy; the performances, most by talent new to the acting craft but no less gifted in evoking tender emotions, afford the exact type of authenticity needed. The filmmaker’s generous directorial savvy is never in question, nor is her understanding of the underlying story, as she employs every technique at her disposal to update Wilde’s fable to a melancholy modern context.

While stellar turns from the central duo provide an engaging gateway into The Selfish Giant’s exploration of friendship, maturity, and the importance of sources of solace when few others exist, it is the masterful narrative handling of the film’s themes that resonates. Slowly but surely, the feature guides the audience through its slice of life, yet never overplays the inherent drama of boys dicing with death as their only means of making their own future. Subtlety reigns even as obvious elements and eventualities come into play; Barnard whispers her message and meaning, favouring quiet construction over the bluntness of genre’s penchant for the heavy handed. Her addition to the social realist fold is as well-realised as it is welcome, the film’s greatest statement made in its lingering echoes.

Rating: 4

The Selfish Giant
Director: Clio Barnard
UK, 2013, 91 mins

Adelaide Film Festival
adelaidefilmfestival.org
10-20 October