The Damned United (2009)

The story of the controversial Brian Clough's 44-day reign as the coach of the English football club Leeds United.

Director:

Tom Hooper

Writers:

Peter Morgan (screenplay), David Peace (novel)

Stars:

Colm Meaney, Henry Goodman, David Roper

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Colm Meaney	...	Don Revie
Henry Goodman	...	Manny Cussins
David Roper	...	Sam Bolton
Jimmy Reddington	...	Keith Archer
Oliver Stokes	...	Nigel Clough
Ryan Day	...	Simon Clough
Michael Sheen	...	Brian Clough
Mark Bazeley	...	Austin Mitchell
Timothy Spall	...	Peter Taylor
Maurice Roëves	...	Jimmy Gordon
Stephen Graham	...	Billy Bremner
Peter McDonald	...	Johnny Giles
Mark Cameron	...	Norman Hunter
Frank Skillin	...	Younger Nigel Clough
Dylan Van Hoof	...	Younger Simon Clough

Storyline

Taking over England's top football club Leeds United, previously successful manager Brian Clough's abrasive approach and his clear dislike of the players' dirty style of play make it certain there is going to be friction. Glimpses of his earlier career help explain both his hostility to previous manager Don Revie and how much he is missing right-hand man Peter Taylor who has loyally stayed with Brighton & Hove Albion.

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Plot Keywords:

leeds united | football | cup | derby county | flashback | 

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Taglines:

"They love me for what I'm not... ...they hate me for what I am."

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures [France] Sony Pictures [UK]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 March 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

Prokleti United

Filming Locations:

Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£618,929 (United Kingdom), 29 March 2009, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$32,065, 9 October 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$449,558, 7 February 2010

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, BBC Films, Screen Yorkshire

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Saltergate, Chesterfield was used to film Baseball Ground and Wembley scenes.

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Goofs

When the Leeds players confront Brian Clough in the tunnel at Elland Rd, the new East Stand can be seen behind Clough. This stand was not built until 1990. Also the tunnel they are standing in is not the one used by players to run onto the pitch.

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Quotes

Brian Clough: What are you doing? You weren't supposed to *accept* our resignations!
Sam Longson: Shouldn't bloody well offer them, then, should you?
Brian Clough: Look, you can't get rid of us. It would be a disaster for the club. For the whole of Derby!
Sam Longson: You can't keep shooting your mouth off the way you have been and issuing these ultimatums. With great reluctance, your resignations have been accepted.
Brian Clough: Look, you can't do this. It's madness.
Sam Longson: The decision stands. Car keys on the table and out.
Brian Clough: We're gonna create a footballing dynasty ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movie Rivalries (2014)

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Soundtracks

When the Saints Go Marching In
Traditional

User Reviews

Damned Brilliant

Football has been poorly served by the cinema to date. "The Damned United" goes a long way to rectifying that. A bravura performance from Martin Sheen as Brian Clough and a faithful, intelligent screenplay by Peter Morgan combine with a well chosen storyline to deliver a convincing tale. Crucially, this is not a film about football, it uses football as a framework for ambition, greed, success, failure, friendship and love.

The traditional traps surrounding a football film are avoided. "Live" action is limited, and team sequences brief. Consequently the characters are given a chance to breathe and develop , not just Clough's, but those of Peter Taylor, marvellously captured by Timothy Spall, and others . Chairmen Manny Cousins and Sam Longson enjoy rewarding cameo parts and the footballers themselves are picked as actors rather than surrogate footballers.

Critics may carp about the odd anachronism and unconvincing physical shape of the Leeds United team in particular but it is the ego of Brian Clough which bestrides this story. The 90 minutes barely does justice to his 45 days at Leeds as his career up to the appointment is interwoven into the main tale. Although faction is a dangerous device, for me it does justice to both the lovingly recreated era and the characters. Cloughs family have apparently repudiated this work, which is a shame. It is broadly favourable with the wrinkles as foibles rather than damnable weaknesses.

The film closes with a re-creation of the YTV interview with Clough and Revie sitting side by side immediately following Clough's dismissal. The atmosphere is electric, Clough is surprisingly conciliatory whilst Revie delivers an, "I told you so", tour de force. Echoes of the Sheen/Morgan collaboration Frost / Nixon abound as does the repeated device of the late night telephone call from the arch protagonists, this time Clough to Revie, last time Nixon to Frost. The final reconciliation between Clough and Taylor is as brave a depiction of a male platonic relationship as has been screened for a very long time.

A triumph for all concerned.