The Damned United
Review: Hilarious, dramatic, tragic and heart warming.
When you consider The Damned United as a film, it is impossible to ignore the book from which it spawned, The Damned Utd. The book, its concept being a “novel based on fact”, was always going to cause hurt. It certainly did to the family of its protagonist, Leeds United manager Brian Clough. It also derided Johnny Giles, who is portrayed as a backstabber that worked to rid the club of Clough. The book was a great read. It was highly enjoyable, yet it was outrageous and wrong.
That's the moral side dealt with; on a personal level I massively enjoyed this film. It was hilarious, dramatic, tragic and heart warming. The film centres on the relationship Clough (who is also seen as a highly successful Derby manger in flashbacks), has with his friend and assistant Peter Taylor, and his hero, and then nemesis, Don Revie.
Clough's relationship with Taylor was as complicated and loving as any marriage, and the fall-out was as vicious as many splits between couples. Taylor was crucial to Clough's managerial talent and he spotted many of the players who he centred his success around. In the end, Clough's driving ambition and desire to emulate Revie's success meant he stayed at Leeds, while Taylor stayed at Brighton & Hove Albion. The final scene sees the men reconcile.
Clough idolised Revie, the manager of the best team in the country. In the film, Clough attempts to get the baseball ground look sparkling, and is seen laying out a towel, orange and ash tray for every player in the away dressing room, whose sign he shines himself. When Revie arrives at Derby, he walks straight past a distraught Clough. He is then taken aback by the cynical and dirty tactics Leeds employ on their way to a 2-0 win. Revie does not shake Clough's hand, and Clough is heartbroken. He idolised Revie, a person he grew up near, and they played on the same team. This resentment then becomes a driving force for Clough, who wants to succeed at Leeds only to show he can be better than Revie, who never won the league fairly, according to Clough. In fairness, he was right, the Leeds players were vicious and cynical in the 1960's and '70's.
Clough went on to win the Second Division and League Title with Derby. He eventually left after too many disagreements with chairman Sam Longson, who refused to support him financially. From one of these scenes comes an important quote:”It's all about money now, Uncle Sam”, sneers Michael Sheen, who was brilliant as Clough. Timothy Spall was superb as Taylor, and Colm Meaney was great as the curmudgeonly Revie. He even looked like him!
The film is shot brilliantly, and during the football scenes, you get a real feel for the grittiness of the time. The pre-game scenes often featured player smoking and drinking tea, while the fashions were spot on-horrendous!
The end of the film is quite superb. It is a direct translation of an interview Clough gave to Yorkshire TV on the day he was sacked. Only seconds before the live viewing, Clough finds out that Revie will also be present. What follows is a terrifyingly tense and angry five minute TV slot that would have made sensational viewing in 1974. That the clothes, actions and words are exactly true to life is brilliant.
In truth, it is hard to express in writing why The Damned United is such a good film. You really, really get into the film, and become absorbed in the world of the wayward genius that is Clough, who is his own worst enemy. While non-football people can surely appreciate it, if you know nothing of the background, it will be difficult to follow and understand.
Rating: 9/10
By: Ciaran Leinster
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