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Mark of Cain [2007]


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Well worth watching
Review date: 2008-03-24 Rating: 10 out of 10

What a great film this is. Not really about war but the way people are treated by their `comrades' and the system if they want to be honest and ethical. It is quite frightening the pressures put onto to `whistleblowers'. This film illustrates this magnificently. Well acted and worth seeing. People do not want truth it seems; deception is preferable as it does not upset the apple cart.

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Reviews


Fraught drama about British Soldiers in Iraq
Review date: 2007-09-28 Rating: 8 out of 10

"Mark of Cain" is a fictional account of the plight of the British army in Iraq, full of resonance with actual experiences as reported in responsible documentaries.

An ensemble cast is lead by four main characters, each typifying different aspects of the less desirable side of army life and the pressures arising from the concept of the regiment as a family.

Mark (Treacle) Tate is a recent recruit bullied by Military Police Lance Corporal Quyealy (Leo Gregory). Shane Gulliver (Matthew McNulty) is the squaddie with a conscience, who nevertheless because of misplaced loyalty and timidity (who wouldn't be timid in this environment) joins in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. The popular and resourceful NCO in charge is Corporal Gant (Shaun Dooley).

However when the prisoner abuse leads to court martials Corporal Gant leaves his men high and dry, and the army ensures only privates Tate and Gulliver are tried.

Hopefully this film is biased towards an extreme negative view of the army, but I fear If the Iraq war is not sufficient to deter young men joining the army, this film might well do just that

Very highly recommended.


One of the most honest films about what it's like to be a soldier
Review date: 2007-08-06 Rating: 10 out of 10

Now let's be realistic: this film was never going to be very popular with army recruiters. They will no doubt say that it stressed everything that can be bad about army life. On the other hand, it's their job to stress everything that is good about army life, so they're hardly likely to be even-handed on the matter.

In actual fact, The Mark of Cain is very finely balanced. There is an inspirational, honest leader and a loyal, dedicated member of the TA. Unfortunately, they are both killed, but that's what happens in real life.

The subsequent recriminations and slide into the moral cesspit are all too recognisable not just to those who have served in the army but anyone who has ever worked anywhere where there's a bit of politics and a clear heirarchy: it could be an office, a school, a factory or a football club. The people at the top always get away with it and those on the bottom of the pile get burned.

There are some brilliant acting performances here, perhaps most notably from Gerard Kearns, best known as Ian from Shameless. In a very different role, he stands out as a compromised, troubled and ultimately tragic squaddie.

War does terrible things to us. This film never lets you forget that.

In good company with Jarhead
Review date: 2007-05-08 Rating: 8 out of 10

The story is great and could quite easily be mistaken as being based on truth clearly illustrating how a group mentality under extremely unusual circumstances can bring out the basest of responses from supposedly civilised people. Lord of the Flies this is not but as an almost mockumentary take on the current conflict in the Middle East and a kind of tale of two 'brothers' it was good to see, especially in the DVD format without the constant interruptions for Gillette, car and beer adverts. The guy out of Shameless is great and the small amount of battle action is done well enough to look authentic. Some of the camera work is a bit TV-like but don't let it put you off watching.

War Film?
Review date: 2007-04-13 Rating: 4 out of 10

Would have been better served if this program had not been aired on Channel 4, and gone straight to dvd.
As much a war film as A Bridge Too Far was an architectural study of europe.
Made without an awful lot of research.
Someone had an axe to grind.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Matthew McNulty
Shaun Dooley
Khalid Laith
Leo Gregory
Gerard Kearns

Creators:
Matthew McNulty (Primary Contributor)
Leo Gregory (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Revolver Entertainment
Manufacturer: Revolver Entertainment
EAN: 5060018489049
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2007-04-09
Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 91 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2007
Language: English (Original Language)

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