Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Red Riding — Northern England Noir



The three TV films comprising the "Red Riding" trilogy are as brutal and unpleasant — and riveting — as anything to crawl out of the fevered brain of James Ellroy.

Like Ellroy, there are multiple plot lines revolving around a corrupt police department. And like Ellroy, there is a central event — a shooting at a nightclub — that serves to unify the three episodes.

Midway through the second installment it seems like the good guys can never win. Not that there are a lot of good guys to choose from.

Great stuff — although the north of England dialect is strong enough that American viewers will be glad of the subtitles.

"Red Riding" is available as a three-fer DVD.

No comments: