The overall plot, stretched out over three films, presents a dizzying array of characters and events of either crucial or tangential importance to the outcome. Keeping them straight might require a score card of sorts, a task made all the more difficult for Americans by the heavy Yorkshire accents, delivered in rapid-fire dialogue with layers of British slang and police lingo that would require subtitles to decipher. (Of the prints that I saw, only 1974 had subtitles.) That said, even if some of the details go over your head, you get the gist of the story, which delivers not only on the "twisty mystery" front but also on the emotional drama, introducing characters you come to root for (or against).
Of course, watching the entire trilogy in one sitting -- a five-hour undertaking -- is a daunting task, and there are sluggish moments in the pacing that could test any viewer's patience, but it's a testament to how fascinating the world of Red Riding is that people would be willing to devote that much time to it. Of the three films, the first works best as a standalone movie, although 1980 can also stand on its own quite well. 1983 is more problematic to watch by itself, as it ties together the loose ends from the other two films, but in doing so, it is in its own way the most satisfying of the series. The overall story, I think, could be edited down and told effectively as a three-hour epic, and it should come as no surprise that Columbia Pictures has bought the remake rights for a film that could end up as a cross between Zodiac and The Departed.
The Skinny
Sean Bean in 'Red Riding 1983'.
Photo: Phil Fisk © IFC- Acting: A- (The cast embodies their roles, enhancing the film's grim realism.)
- Direction: B- (Dark neo-noir that doesn't skimp on emotion.)
- Script: C+ (Creates a fascinating world, but taken as a whole, the story feels a little bloated, and questions abound even after the final, final credits.)
- Gore/Effects: C (Little to comment on.)
- Overall: B- (An engrossing, well-acted dramatic mystery.)
Red Riding is directed by Julian Jarrold, James Marsh and Anand Tucker and is not rated by the MPAA (but has content that would be the equivalent of an R rating). Release date: February 5, 2010.
