Lamb (1986)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Colin Gregg

Writers:

Bernard MacLaverty (novel)
Bernard MacLaverty (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 December 1986 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Kidnapping | Man Boy Relationship | Child Abuse | Delinquent | Smoking

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Liam Neeson	...	Michael Lamb
Harry Towb	...	Priest
Hugh O'Conor	...	Owen Kane
Frances Tomelty	...	Mrs. Kane
Ian Bannen	...	Brother Benedict
Ronan Wilmot	...	Brother Fintan
Denis Carey	...	Mr. Lamb
Eileen Kennally	...	Neighbour Woman
David Gorry	...	O'Donnell
Andrew Pickering	...	Murphy
Stuart O'Connor	...	O'Holloran
Ian McElhinney	...	Maguire
Bernadette McKenna	...	Jeweller's Assistant
Jessica Saunders	...	Bank Teller on Boat
Robert Hamilton	...	Stranger at Holyhead
Roger Booth	...	Farmer on Train
Marjie Lawrence	...	Separtment Store Assistant
Nicola Wright	...	Hotel Receptionist
Freddie Stuart	...	First Crook
Roy Glascock	...	Second Crook
Doreen Keogh	...	Landlady Cheap Hotel
Nick Dunning	...	Football Spectator
Nigel Humphreys	...	Policeman
Tony Wredden	...	Pharmacist
Dudley Sutton	...	Haddock
Larrington Walker	...	Newton
Walter McMonagle	...	Carpenter
Colum Convey	...	Plumber
Emer Gillespie	...	Avis Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Temperley	...	Skinhead (uncredited)

Directed by
Colin Gregg

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bernard MacLaverty		novel
Bernard MacLaverty		screenplay

Produced by
Al Burgess	....	executive producer
Martin Proctor	....	associate producer
Neil Zeiger	....	producer

Original Music by
Van Morrison

Cinematography by
Michael Garfath

Film Editing by
Peter Delfgou

Casting by
Simone Reynolds

Production Design by
Austen Spriggs

Art Direction by
Val Wolstenholme		(as Val Wolstenholm)

Costume Design by
Monica Howe

Makeup Department
Stevie Hall	....	hair styles supervisor
Vivien Placks	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Christabel Albery	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerry Gavigan	....	first assistant director
Terry Madden	....	second assistant director
Kevin Smith	....	second unit director
Gerard Wall	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Derek Ede	....	stagehand
Steve Ede	....	construction manager
Robert Flint	....	stagehand
Brian Gamby	....	propman
Colin Lovering	....	painter
George Peppiatt	....	dressing props
John Potter	....	carpenter
Dean Shannon	....	painter
Ian Shubrook	....	propman
Alfie Smith	....	property master
Graham Tew	....	property buyer

Sound Department
Bill Burgess	....	sound recordist
John Delfgou	....	dubbing editor
Mervyn Gerrard	....	sound recordist: second unit
Jason Goddard	....	sound trainee
Graham Headicar	....	sound transferer
David Hutton	....	boom operator
Rupert Scrivener	....	dubbing mixer
Ken Somerville	....	dubbing mixer

Special Effects by
Gordon Coxon	....	special effects

Stunts
Bill Weston	....	stunts arranger

Camera and Electrical Department
Douglas Dawson	....	still photographer
Gregory Dupré	....	focus puller: second unit
Ronnie Herschman	....	best boy
Bob Hunt	....	electrician
Malcolm Huse	....	key grip
Michael Miles	....	camera operator: second unit
Sean Price	....	rigger
Nick Schlesinger	....	focus puller
Remy Stevenson	....	camera trainee
Peter Taylor	....	camera operator
Steve Wallis	....	electrician
Adam Walton	....	clapper loader
Micky Woolaard	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Judy Baxter	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Beverly D'Souza	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Philip Begley	....	music recordist
Bill Whelan	....	composer: additional music
Bill Whelan	....	music arranger

Transportation Department
Malcolm Beale	....	driver: bus
Tony Drinkeld	....	driver
Brian Freeman	....	driver
Steve Slater	....	driver
Tony Ware	....	driver
Andy Wright	....	driver
Gary Young	....	driver

Other crew
Christopher Arch	....	trainee producer
Cindy Ballin	....	secretary to producer
Christina Barnett	....	assistant to producer
Brian Brockwell	....	production accountant
Diana Dill	....	script supervisor
Arthur Ferriman	....	production controller
Tommy Gordon	....	location manager
Cosmo Johnson	....	unit runner
Gary Jones	....	assistant accountant
Catherine O'Brien	....	unit publicist
Terence Pritchard	....	unit publicist
Michael Selina	....	location manager: Ireland second unit
Debbie Sheehan	....	accounts secretary
Michael Shevloff	....	unit runner
Jezz Startup	....	unit runner
Faye Villalba	....	production coordinator
Trupti Weeks	....	assistant to executive producer
Andrew Young	....	projectionist: viewing theatre

Production Companies

• Channel Four Films
• Flickers Limehouse

Distributors

• Direct Source (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• FilmFour Video (2003) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Anvil Post Production  sound re-recording
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Mr. Lighting  electrical equipment

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

The ending makes this otherwise worthwhile movie thoroughly disgusting

This comment contains crucial information about the ending. So please do not read it unless you know / want to know about it.

I give Lamb a 4. If it had not been for the movie's last 10 minutes, I would have given it a 7. The ending though is simply horrible and disgusting. My review will now take a closer look at the story and why I think the arguments of those who like the last scenes miss the point and are as surrealistic as the ending itself.

Lamb is the story of the Christian Brother Michael Lamb (played by Liam Neeson) and his doomed love for a 10 year old boy. He works at a Remand Home on the Irish Coast and is struggling with his loss of faith. Very soon the epileptic Owen (Hugh O'Connor) is put into the care of the Home by his obviously cold-hearted mother. The institution is run by Brother Benedict (Ian Bannen), who has a sadistic streak and does not care about individuals and their problems. When Lamb's father dies, the young priest seems to have some sort of emotional breakdown – at least this assumption makes the following events somehow understandable. Owen, who regresses under the Home's brutal regime, is initially not interested in Lamb as the kind of mentor the young priest wants to be for the boy, but as soon as Owen finds out that Lamb wants to help him, he sides with the young priest. As Lamb is about to expect some inheritance, he decides to quit his work at the Home and to take Owen with him. They manage to leave the institution clandestinely and eventually arrive in London, where they are masquerading as father and son. Things get worse quickly, they run out of money after a short time and have to realize that the police is already in pursuit. Lamb tries to make a living, but as Owen's physical condition deteriorates alarmingly due to a lack of tablets and as the police is closing in, he takes him back to Ireland.

From this point on the movie becomes surrealistic and disturbing. Lamb apparently seems to think that Owen needs salvation, that his suffering is not to be cured, and that he is the only one who can redeem the boy from his sorely-tried life. So he gives him other tablets instead of those which Owen normally takes to prevent his fits, and takes him to the beach. There Owen breaks down. Lamb grabs his body and walks into the sea. He puts his head under the surface and apparently drowns the boy. He then leaves the body on a dune and dives into the sea himself several times. He finally comes back, places himself next to Owen's dead body – and here the movie ends.

Now these last shots are totally beyond me. They are surreal, only to be grasped if you assume Lamb having lost his mind. The movie is not bad at all, starts with an interesting premise, shows a dear relationship which gradually grows stronger between the boy and the priest. The story itself is not necessarily coherent all the time and sometimes lacking sophisticated and realistic proceedings, but it works – save for the end.

Other reviewers have stated that the final scenes are strong and convincing because they are tragic and far off the corny happy-ending pattern. The DVD cover calls it "the ultimate act of love and mercy". Some have said that Owen has finally found peace.

This attitude lacks good common sense. Everyone who has at least some understanding of terms such as "responsibility" and "reason" would have to realize that this ending is entirely unrealistic. If Lamb had really loved the boy, he would have quit the hiding and running away and assured Owen's save return, so that he could be treated according to his illness. Owen trusts him – even loves him – by the end of the movie, but Lamb abuses this trust and kills the boy. He kills him. He kills a boy who has his entire life still ahead, who has yet to experience so much and find out so many aspects of life. Why does he do so? Because he panics; loses his mind; turns mad – however you wish to put it.

I have no problem with tragic endings; I have no problem with emotionally thrashing and exposing scenes that are far off the stereotypical happy ending. So if Owen would have drowned, or died due to an accident or some sort of complications from epilepsy – fine. But this is nonsense, surrealistic and entirely beyond common sense. Lamb seems to be so strongly obsessed by the boy – probably caused by the loss of his own father – that he abandons the thought of returning him into the custody of the Home. Of course, Lamb would have to go to prison, Owen would probably return to the Home or some other institution, and yes, he would presumably continue to suffer, BUT: He would be alive. And this is my point. How anyone dares to call the killing of an innocent child "an act of mercy and love" is simply beyond me. How can anyone think that this deed does any good to Owen?

The boy is dead, and the one he trusted is responsible for it and has done everything deliberately. This is the sad essence of a story that has such a good background plot and very interesting events happening, but is simply ruined by a disgusting and appalling ending.