Dead Man's Shoes: A Relentless Tale of Revenge

DEAD MAN'S SHOES

Dead Man's Shoes (2004)

Directed by Shane Meadows

Written by Paddy Considine and Shane Meadows

You know when people talk about prison they say on your first day you have to go all crazy on the biggest guy there? It shows everyone else that you're not to be messed with and you're capable of anything. It's a survival technique that seems to make sense especially when the odds are so stacked against you. Well, Dead Man's Shoes is kind of the cinematic equivalent of that philosophy. Our protagonist, Richard (Paddy Considine), a military vet returning home to avenge his brutalized mentally-challenged brother, seems to have picked up that nugget of hard truth and dishes out a full-on assault on the thugs responsible. In a very calculated manner, he takes them out unsympathetically, methodically, and severely. Clearly he is outnumbered, but not deterred. He will have his revenge, and he starts by facing down the biggest, baddest of the bunch.

Let me stop there for a second, because this isn't a typical revenge film. Director Shane Meadows (This is England) has developed a deep pychological study to go along with the moments of carnage. The film thrives due to exceptional character development, not only in the relationship between Richard and his brother (Tony Kebbell), but also the interactions of the gang of thugs. The thugs are realistically portrayed as human, and not mere stereotypical fodder for us to cheer on Richard when he exacts his revenge. Meadows deftly focuses most of the action on the thugs showing their weakness as well as their ugliness, a cause and effect. At times, he develops such pathos that you actually feel a little pity for the thugs. Their lives of drugs and abuse are offset by moments of camaraderie and humor. These are men who have obviously lived hard lives and have nothing much to look forward to. That, however, does not excuse them from their actions, nor does it protect them from Richard's inevitable revenge.

The filmmakers employ hand-held camerawork that often gives the film a documentary feel. The dialogue feels so smooth and natural at times that it seems like someone must have placed a hidden camera in the room. There isn't a moment where I was taken out of the film's world, and that's all thanks to the clever casting, a powerful script, and tight pacing.

One thing Meadows doesn't do is compromise. Richard taunts his brother's tormentors by breaking into their homes when they're asleep playing little, but ominous pranks with spray paint or makeup. He follows them at every turn, never backing down, and making it quite clear that he is there to destroy them. Typical in a movie like this, the “bad guys” will fight back with witty retorts and violence, the "hero" biding his time until the final showdown. In Meadow's film, however, there is none of this beating-around-the-bush. The thugs are clearly very afraid of Richard, and almost ashamed of their own behavior, perhaps even feeling a little guilt. It doesn't matter to Richard as he strikes quickly and with no mercy, never stopping to think of consequences. Just in case you forgot why he's so pissed, the sympathy you may feel for the thugs is extinguished with flashbacks revealing just what happened to Anthony.

I hope I haven't given too much away because I was continuously surprised and wholly engaged by Dead Man's Shoes. During the many times it broke convention, I found myself squealing with delight. There's a lot of ambiguity as to whether or not such extreme violence was necessary. Richard appears crazed, which could be due to trauma, his military service, or the general desolate conditions of his hometown. Clearly he is motivated by his own guilt. His actions seem extreme, but as the tale unfolds, one is able to gauge the severity of it against one's own set of morals and beliefs. Finally, the viewer is able to decide for him or herself if justice has been done in the end.

DEAD MAN'S SHOES TRAILER