Contact (DVD) A film by Alan Clarke Directed by Alan Clarke (Scum, The Firm), and adapted by AFN Clarke from his own autobiographical book, Contact is a powerful, unsensational drama about a platoon of British paratroopers on border patrol in South Armagh.Finely-judged performances from Sean Chapman (Scum, Made in Britain) and the rest of the cast combine with fluid hand-held camerawork and night-vision imagery to create a sparse, documentary-like effect, expertly capturing the fear, confusion and bravery of uniformed soldiers fighting against an unseen enemy. Winner of the Golden Leopard's Eye for Best TV Film at the 1985 Locarno Film Festival, Contact is released here with the critically acclaimed 1981 Alan Clarke BBC drama Psy-Warriors, and an extensive selection of extra features.Special featuresRemastered in High DefinitionDavid Leland introduction (1991, 4 mins)Optional audio commentary with actor Sean ChapmanAFN Clarke on Contact (2016, 22 mins): an interview with the writerMaking Contact (2016): a gallery of location stillsPsy-Warriors (Alan Clarke, 1981, 73 mins): writer David Leland's harrowing drama, exploring the military's use of psychological interrogation techniquesKnow your Enemy (2016, 18 mins): a documentary on the making of Contact and Psy-Warriors, featuring interviews with David Leland, Sean Chapman and filmmakers Paul Greengrass and Stephen FrearsUK | 1985 | colour | English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles | 66 minutes (+ extras) | original aspect ratio 1.33:1 | DVD9 | PAL | 25fps | Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio (320kbps) | Cert 15 (strong language, violence) | Region 2
C**S
Best film about the Army in Northern Ireland’s ‘troubles’.
The reality of rural patrolling in Northern Ireland’s ‘bandit country’, with short bursts of adreneline fuelled action inbetween long periods of exhausting and tedoius routine. Written and directed by a former platoon commander in 3 PARA, it is both realistic and believable with good attention to small details such as uniforms and weapons, which are often all too frequently wrong in other productions. Deserves a wider audience.
N**R
Great Drama
Great to finally have this on DVD. A great piece of drama and very realistic with only one continuity / prop error that I noted. Re: O Group mentioning M79's when the guys were clearly carrying M203's. Not a big deal - probably only the ex-squaddies would notice.
S**S
A classic. Gritty and realistic..
Superb! As an ex Para who served on the border in Northern Ireland this bought back lots of memories. It’s gritty and portrays the combination of boredom interspersed with action at a seconds notice brilliantly. A great piece of British filmmaking.
R**N
Chapman was just like my Corporal Instructor at Aldershot 84
I was eager to see Contact again and it still delivers. Chapman was just like my Corporal Instructor at Aldershot 84.
T**S
saw this film on TV many years ago,
saw this film on TV many years ago, still relays the true sense of menace encountered in this duties
M**E
Five Stars
Brilliant.
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