Remembrance

[MichaelB]

Confirmed as a 15 July release.

BFI Flipside presents... Remembrance, a rarely seen British film that follows a group of young Royal Navy sailors during their last 24 hours ashore before their ship sets sail on a six-month naval exercise.

Set around the pubs and clubs of the then-notorious Union Street in 1980s Plymouth, Colin Gregg's direction and Hugh Stoddart's script skilfully cuts between the interweaving stories of several characters as they prepare for the coming months at sea. The ensemble cast includes early performances from the likes of Timothy Spall, John Altman and Gary Oldman (in his big-screen debut).

One of the first films produced by Channel Four, where it was broadcast after a short theatrical run in the summer of 1982, Remembrance’s initial release was given added poignancy and relevance by the outbreak of the Falklands War a few months earlier. Rarely screened since, this new 2024 restoration by the BFI marks the first time this important British film has been available on Blu-ray.

• Newly remastered from original camera materials and presented in High Definition
• Interview with director Colin Gregg (2024): newly recorded interview with director and producer of Remembrance
• Interview with screenwriter Hugh Stoddart (2024): newly recorded interview with the screenwriter of Remembrance
• Raleigh: The First Few Weeks (1986, 19 mins): following the daily lives of new naval ratings, from their arrival at training establishment HMS Raleigh, beginning the first phase of their training and onwards to the day of their passing out parade
• Royal Navy Amazon (1980, 1 min): this made for TV advert was produced to bolster the recruitment of ordinary naval ratings, because ‘everybody’s somebody in the Royal Navy’
• **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Booklet featuring a new essay by screenwriter Hugh Stoddart, new writing on the film by Johnny Mains, an essay by the BFI’s Josephine Botting and full film credits
• Other extras TBC

[jlnight]

Last seen on Film4 in early 2018 I think I suggested music clearances as a hurdle to a commercial release (there was no VHS or DVD release) but maybe it wasn't that after all. I'll have to give the off-air copy another spin.

"I never ever, ever want to see again..."

[GaryC]

I saw this in Channel 4's very early days, after it had won the top prize at the Taormina Festival. There were complaints on Right to Reply shortly afterwards due to violence and a lot of strong language.