Remembrance (1982 movie)

Remembrance is a drama about Royal Navy ratings of HMS Raleigh. They are about to go on a six-month naval exercise. Some well-known British actors had early roles in the film. They include Timothy Spall, Lisa Maxwell and John Altman. It was Gary Oldman's first film.

It was made by Channel Four Films and was shown in the first week of Channel 4 broadcasting. It was also one of the first films in the UK to be shown on television less than three years after its initial cinema release. Before this event, a three-year delay was made by the Cinema Exhibitors' Association.

Plot 
The film follows several naval ratings with the story switching between the characters. The naval ratings prepare for their coming months away at sea. The action takes place around the bars and clubs of the Union Street district of Plymouth. One major event that affects all the characters is the hospitalisation, and eventual death, of Daniel, played by Gary Oldman. This is after a violent assault by a nightclub bouncer.

Production 
Gregg got the idea for the film from his own experiences as a student at Plymouth Art College.
It was shot on location. It includes interior scenes in two Union Street pubs, The Phoenix and The Two Trees.

The film was commissioned by Channel 4, before the channel had started broadcasting. It was shown in November 1982, close to Remembrance Sunday. This was in the first week of the new channel

In June 1982, before being shown on TV, the film had been shown in a cinema, the Screen on the Hill in Hampstead.
This was for publicity of the film and the start of Channel 4. It took advantage of the role that the Royal Navy had played in the Falklands War. It was also an important event in the relationship between cinema and television in the UK. In Independent Television in Britain (Volume 6, 2003), Paul Bonner and Lesley Aston note that:

Cast 
 Roger Adamson as Provost driver
 John Altman as Steve
 Dawn Archibald as Jill
 Sean Arnold as Landlord of the Antelope
 Al Ashton as John
 Dicken Ashworth as Frank
 Sheila Ballantine as Marie
 Martin Barrass as Malcolm
 John Barrett as Jimmy
 Derek Benfield as Vincent's father
 Jesse Birdsall as Matelot
 Roger Booth as Mark's father
 Jon Croft as Stan
 Alison Dowling as Student
 Mark Drewry as Harry
 Nick Dunning as Chris
 Peter Ellis as Policeman
 Nick Ellsworth as Naval provost
 Myra Frances as Teacher at party
 Michael Godley as Father at party
 Kenneth Griffith as Joe
 Dave Hill as Paul
 Sally Jane Jackson as Sue
 David John as Mark
 Peter Jonfield as Dave
 Wolf Kahler as Dutch Matelot
 Marjie Lawrence as Mark's mother
 Pete Lee-Wilson as Vincent
 Doel Luscombe as Landlord of the White Swan
 Tony Mathews as Naval surgeon
 Lisa Maxwell as Girl at disco
 Don Munday as Doorman
 Gary Oldman as Daniel
 Eileen Page as Mother at party
 Robert John Pittman as Landlord of the Two Trees
 John Price as Naval officer
 Lawrie Quayle as TV interviewer
 Anna Rees as Girl at disco
 John Rutland as Alf
 Timothy Spall as Douglas
 Ewan Stewart as Sean
 Kim Taylforth as Christine
 Flip Webster as Barmaid at disco
 Michele Winstanley as Gail
 Nicola Wright as Student

Soundtrack 
Background music is from "Aragon" by Brian Eno.

Reception 
Channel 4's regulator, the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), raised concerns about use of swearing in the script.

The film won the Golden Charybdis Award at the 1982 Taormina International Film Festival.

References

Other websites 
 Remembrance on IMDb
 Remembrance at the BFI

1982 movies
British drama movies