Many different ways are used in the film to assist in convincing the audience that the termination of the mines was and remains immoral. One method is the music in the film and how it is used.
The music that is used in every scene is relevant to the mood; emotions and feelings, there are many examples when this has occurred. One event in which this is appropriate is when Danny is in the hospital suffering from pneumacosis and outside the brass band play ‘Danny Boy’. This is suitable by name and also as it gives a sad, depressing image because of the slow pace and distressing delivery. Another reason why this works as effectively as it does is because of the fact that they are playing outside the hospital, the hospital in which Danny seems to be dying. The image of the band outside the hospital with Danny inside may symbolize the idea that there is now a wall between the music and the reality of the miners, also the scene is a disheartening one because of the situation they are in.
Another way in which music highlights and emphasizes the atmosphere is at the start when Concierto de Aranjeuz by Rodrigo is performed by the band. This display involves a flugel horn, slow trills, delayed yet steady rhythm and also a consistent and passive tone. This relates to the images upon the screen, which include the miners, the people, the personalities and the office scenes involving the management. When the clips appear of the management inside the offices having a debate over the closure of the pit the dynamics seem to get louder as the texture increases with more percussion instruments joining in. This can refer to the arguments as more and more of the office staff join in the dispute.
In one certain scene in which Phil played by Steven Tompkinson is left in his unfurnished, abandoned, bare house with only a telephone, a chair and a ball to occupy the space provided and then goes onto one of the most moving scenes and speeches in the story the music is especially relevant. A slow violin plays, this stresses the sadness and loneliness that Phil is feeling and the heartbreak he has to come to terms with. A violin is used in this act because it is the first string instrument to be used in the film; the violin symbolizes the emotional effect of the scene and actions.
The final piece of music the band produce inside the Albert Hall is the William Tell Overture. The fact that the viewers can familiarize themselves with this piece of music helps to signify the occurrences. To the viewers the music seems victorious, triumphant and it ends when the piece builds to a climax.
The last piece of music in the film is Land of Hope and Glory; this is used to create an atmosphere however it is used in an ironic way because the lyrics do not relate to the events of the film. The lyrics to Land of Hope and Glory include the image of everything being bright and beautiful however when this piece is used all is not hopeful as the pit was closed, jobs were lost, Danny was dying and the band had ended. Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem were used in the play as a symbolic meaning, they were at the center of English liberty and using well known, national anthems the viewers can interact to the great English success.
Music is used to create a reality, which the audience can relate to. The use of music helps the viewers to get an insight into the lives and lifestyles of the musicians and the community. Also music is used to bring the events down to earth and to form an image in the viewer’s mind that sets the correct and appropriate atmosphere.
Another way in which the director and producer have attempted to persuade the audience’s opinion towards that of theirs, that pit closure is wrong, is through the actors, actresses and acting. To begin with the entire cast is English and the film is set in Yorkshire. This helps to include the viewers immediately using hidden persuasion that leaves the audience content. The way in which the actors use an authentic accent and make believable, skillful performances also help the persuasion.
The cast of Brassed Off includes many well known and well-loved actors and actresses, including Ewan McGregor who has performed in the notorious ‘Trainspotting’, Tara Fitzgerald who also belonged to the cast of ‘The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill….’, Pete Postlethwaite who has also been seen in ‘In the Name of the Father’, Mary Healey who has previously acted upon the set of ‘Brookside’, Lill Roughley who starred in ‘Mulberry’ and also Sue Johnston who also performed in ‘the Royal Family’.
By using well known actors and actresses the audience has immediately been increasing in size, which therefore gains a bigger amount of people that may be persuaded against the closing of the coalmines.
In the story of Brassed Off there is no main character however there is a main relationship. Between father and son, musician and conductor and also music and mining. Pete Postlethwaite and Steven Tompkinson who play father, Danny and son, Phil have an amazing amount of background relationship which is shown immensely throughout the play in an effective and useful manner. This is probably because their home life is totally analyzed thoroughly in the film, which gives a greater and more in-depth view of their lives.
In the film Pete and Steven aka Danny and Phil perform the main and possibly the most important and influential speeches of the play.
With Phil his speech is based around his losses, his family, his job (or lack of one), his money (or lack of it), the band and mostly, his life. In this speech Phil pinpoints his feelings into one act showing his grief and depression in a way that includes the audience by using examples of everyday occurrences to effectively show his feelings. In this scene Phil is in a church, surrounded by innocent and vulnerable children cursing God. These are the images that seem stuck in the mind after watching the film because of the impact it seems to bring with it. At this part in the film Phil forms an opinion of himself which is scum, when he begins his speech the camera seems to focus on once innocent, tiny blonde haired, blue eyed girl. Her image, a beautiful child, is used to portray and highlight the hurt and emotion that Phil is constantly receiving by showering this golden, shining creature with his pain. The way that that scene is acted is fantastic, as Phil’s traumas seem to be brought to life through the way in which he expresses himself. Phil realizes at this point he is what he hates. He stands for his enemy. He has turned into his opposition, Judas the scab the betrayer of Christ or Phil the scum, betrayer of the mine. He has become vicious, violent, bitter, hurt, shocked and by announcing his speech inside a church this only emphasizes his crimes. As Judas went onto hand himself so does Phil, however his attempted suicide falls through, leaving him alive yet his soul and passion dead.
With Danny’s big speech it focuses upon the main aim of the film. This shows a simple minded man, who was set in his own ways being persuaded through no certain cause against the closure of the mine. At the start of the film Danny’s entire life was the band, he represented the band and the miners represented it’s soul. Without the miners the band would be nothing however without the mine there would be no miners. Danny’s opinion was firmly set but when he finally engages upon his speech the reality seems to engulf the audience. Danny realizes that there is more to life than music. He grows and learns through his neighbor’s heartbreak and symbolizes the audience throughout the film as he shows the ignorance of the viewers through his soul. When realization dawns upon Danny about how much the closure of the pit effects people and not just the coal mining industry it is at this point where the audience too is meant to be knowledgeable of this fact. It is through Danny’s character and speech that the director and producer have imported a measure of the pain produced by mass layoffs and redundancy.
Tara Fitzgerald i.e. Gloria and Ewan McGregor i.e. Andy only appear to be in the film to inject a youthful aspect into what could be known as a higher generation movie. By using younger actors and actresses and producing a hint of love and romance into the storyline this appeals to a wider group of clientele, once again increasing the amount of viewers and therefore expanding the amount of people affected and moved by the film and it’s aim.
Another reason for using Gloria in the plot of the play is to give a broader insight into the background and history of the events. The writer has produced a gap in which another piece of opinion can be cast through by allowing the audience through Tara Fitzgerald and her character Gloria, to see the opinions and movements of management.
The film Brassed Off is meant to be a mixture of tear-jerking sadness and laughter, the author has added a hint of humor into the storyline every time a hint of melodrama arises to comfort and suppress the audience.
The sad scenes in the story are always linked to the humorous ones. Humor is used in this film to portray the opinion wanted yet not getting to heavy or deep, as this is not what the author had wanted as it would depress the audience. Humor is counter pointed with the unhappy moments including sarcasm, physical humor, mental humor and verbal humor.
Examples of these include the hair color of the nagging wives. The wives of two band members are, as typical women stereotypes are, in the hairdressers having their hair done however once they emerge from the hairdressers the audience is shown that the color of the wives hairs are purple, this adds humor into a storyline.
Another way in which humor is used is when the bailiffs came to Phil’s house, taking away all of his furniture, when the bailiff insulted him he tried to stand up for himself. He decided to square up to the thug, in his clown suit, whilst the thug was big, tall and beefy and Phil obviously had no chance of hurting him. Another way in which a funny atmosphere is made is when Phil attempts to commit suicide. He does it in such a way that appears tragic yet humorous at the same time by wearing a clown costume whilst trying to hang himself. But when Phil was rescued and wheeled into the hospital on a trolley, the camera is focused only on his humongous clown shoes.
When the band are playing in the Albert Hall there is mixed emotions contained in the scene because of the fact that they had won the competition however the band member’s lives were
in ruins, without jobs or to soon not even have a band. To add a hint of humor into this scene the wives are seen knitting whilst watching the greatest and best performance the musicians, their husbands had ever played before. In one of the main scenes, in which Phil makes his speech in the church there is a great deal of humor. When he is performing his clown act at the start he is in a quiet, somber, silent, dull church where as he is loud, bright and colorful. Phil mentions in his speech about how the ‘Tories’ or Tory Party were made. He tells the children about a tale of God making the Tory Part with odd and random body parts because he blames them for the closing of the mines. He means it to be serious as this is his way of letting out his feelings however to an audience it would seem comical.
There are many ways in which humor is used in the story of Brassed Off and the final product is effective, interesting and comical.
