‘You were supposed to be a monster – now I’m the f***ing beast’
Originally released back in 2004, Shane Meadow’s, Dead Man’s Shoes, has cemented itself in the history books as a cult classic of British cinema.
The dark psychological thriller stars Paddy Considine as Richard, a former soldier in the British Army, who returns home to the Peak District to get even with the gang who humiliated his younger brother for years while he was gone.
Considine, who turns 50 today (September 5), gives arguably the performance of a lifetime in the terrifying flick.
The film was written by both Meadows and Considine as well as Paul Fraser, and stars Toby Kebbell, Gary Stretch, and Stuart Wolfenden.
Despite its low budget, the film was instantly hailed as a masterwork by many critics.
Writing for The Observer, Philip French described the film as: “A very skilful, superbly edited piece of moviemaking” while The Telegraph remarked that it was “not for the faint hearted”.
Since its initial release back in 2004, the film has gone onto be featured in many lists of the greatest movies ever made and has solidified itself as an iconic work of English cinema.
In one of the most lauded scenes in the film, Considine can be seen standing with his back up against a wall on a seemingly derelict road in one of Meadow’s typical grimy towns.
At this point in the film, Considine’s character, Richard, is really beginning to get on the nerves of the local gang he seeks to get revenge on.
As Gary Stretch, starring as Sonny, tries to intimidate Richard, Considine channels true terror by barely muttering a single word. Richard is a character who feels he has lost it all. Nothing can get any darker for him. He is afraid of no man. And that’s everything that he tells Sonny through his facial expressions alone.
And then off course he says: “You’re f****** there mate.”
Check out the scene below.
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