Spoiler Alert
I just saw The Damned United on DVD last week and I gather it recently premiered in New York. Obviously the producers think there is a market for the film and no doubt Michael Sheen is now a globally famous actor, but I can't help if the film might be lost in translation. While the likes of Brian Clough, the main character, Don Revie, Peter Taylor, Dave Mackay, Johnny Giles and Billy Bremner were household names in the footballing world of the 1970s, I would be amazed if anymore than a handful of American's would have heard of them
The film is about the 44 difficult days Clough spent as Manager of league Champions at Leeds United, before he was sacked after a poor start and upsetting his players, many of whom, like Bremner and Giles, were regarded as world class players.
I had mixed feelings about the movie. As with many movies based on fact a lot of dramatic licence was used, in fact the Clough family and former Leeds player Johnny Giles were unhappy about the way some of the characters were potrayed in the original novel, though I gather the screenplay was toned down in an effort to keep them happy. I can't imagine Dave Mackay would have been happy as being potrayed as a backstabber, who as Captain in the movie, replaced Clough as Manager of Derby County after he'd been sacked, whereas in reality he had left the club a couple of yrs before and was at the time of Clough's sacking Manager of Nottingham Forrest.
The Damned United
Re: The Damned United
Part two of The Damned United, as I was unable to finish my thread on my first post.
I was looking forward to seeing the talented Elizabeth Carling as Barbara Clough, Brian's wife, thinking it was a great oportunity for her globally,but was disappointed to discover she was barely in it. However, one of the films strengths was the male bonding between Clough and Timothy Spall's Peter Taylor, who was Brian's assistant at Derby and breifly at Brighton And Hove Albion. They fell out because Peter felt a loyality toward 3rd division Brighton and stayed, but Brian left to Manage the Country's top club Leeds, but made up again after Clough was sacked by Leeds.
If Michael Sheen nailed Brian Clough, so did Colm Meany, who IMO got Leed's legendary Manager Don Revie to a tee. One must also mention Jim Broadbent, was great as Brian's Chairman at Derby County.
The door is wide open for a sequel, when Brian and Peter lead provincial club Nottingham Forrest not to just one European Cup, but two, by defending it the following yr. Sadly both men fell out again, this time without reconcilation. It was only when Peter died, that Brian realised that was a mistake. It was also reckoned that because they weren't reconciled that it might have played a part in Brian's heavy drinking at his own premature death.
I was looking forward to seeing the talented Elizabeth Carling as Barbara Clough, Brian's wife, thinking it was a great oportunity for her globally,but was disappointed to discover she was barely in it. However, one of the films strengths was the male bonding between Clough and Timothy Spall's Peter Taylor, who was Brian's assistant at Derby and breifly at Brighton And Hove Albion. They fell out because Peter felt a loyality toward 3rd division Brighton and stayed, but Brian left to Manage the Country's top club Leeds, but made up again after Clough was sacked by Leeds.
If Michael Sheen nailed Brian Clough, so did Colm Meany, who IMO got Leed's legendary Manager Don Revie to a tee. One must also mention Jim Broadbent, was great as Brian's Chairman at Derby County.
The door is wide open for a sequel, when Brian and Peter lead provincial club Nottingham Forrest not to just one European Cup, but two, by defending it the following yr. Sadly both men fell out again, this time without reconcilation. It was only when Peter died, that Brian realised that was a mistake. It was also reckoned that because they weren't reconciled that it might have played a part in Brian's heavy drinking at his own premature death.