Our reality is an electronic reality.

Radio On (1979)
Dir. Christopher Petit

"We are the children of Fritz Lang and Werner von Braun. We are the link between the 20's and the 80's. All change in society passes through a sympathetic collaboration with tape recorders, synthesisers and telephones. Our reality is an electronic reality."

Another film that’s been on my want-to-watch list for quite a while. I only became aware of it about three years ago when my trusty DVD and Blu-Ray Review magazine announced the British Film Institute DVD release in time for the film’s 30th anniversary. A forgotten, British-German co-produced art film, it follows the journey (as clichéd as it sounds) of a man (David Beames) who travels from London to Bristol to investigate the death of his brother who, incidentally, was caught up in an “obscene film” racket. Get Carter similarities aside, what follows is a brilliant study of self-actualisation, regret, loneliness and isolation - when the characters get knocked down in this film, they take a long time to get back up again, quite literally in a scene where Beames is pushed off his bar-stool by an angry regular. Each time Beames reaches a mental breaking-point, his sanity is restored by the soundtrack of the film, his car radio, which often serves as a reminder of the outside world when reporting such topical news stories as the troubles in Ireland, prostitution, the Red Army faction in Germany and the cracking down on the ownership of aforementioned “obscene films.” Unfortunately for Beames, each news story becomes part of his trip. Early on, the Red Army Faction is referenced when he notice a message in graffiti ordering that a militant be released from jail. He later picks up a Scotsman who has served twice in Northern Ireland (and is now a deserter) as well as two German women who hint at having previously sold themselves for sex, in order to get men to help them travel around England in search of a long-lost daughter whom they are fighting over in court with an abusive husband. Each new encounter puts Beames’ mental state to the test. He finds comfort when having a music discussion with a fellow traveller (a cameo role from Sting) and in fact music is one of the central motifs of the film. The film has a distinct English identity, as opposed to a British one. There’s no Union Jack waving patriotism but instead a certain anti-establishment feeling, evident no more so than in the bitter words of the deserter. I’m rambling. Shot beautifully in black and white and featuring some amazing location shoots, Radio On is an absolute masterpiece. It may not be to everyone's taste, it's gruelling, it requires a lot of attention and by the end of the film Beames' character hasn't really got anywhere, but stick with it and it reaps rewards - the ending is certainly something that will stick with you. I should probably have mentioned some of the songs used in the film but I'm no expert in such matters. [/bad grammar]



10/10