Scotland At The Movies

23 June 2009, 14:22

This 1991 comedy drama, directed by Ken Loach, examines the living conditions of the British working class. Due to be transmitted on Monday June 29 at 10.35pm.

What’s it all about?

Robert Carlyle stars in this tale about a construction worker who gets a job on a building site in London, and his girlfriend, the aspiring singer, Susan.

The style of filming is similar to the styles used in both feature films and documentaries. For example, there is a mix of point-of-view shots, in which the camera and the audience share the view of the characters, and there is also an observational style more commonly associated with documentaries, used to capture scenes such as conversations between the builders. This is deliberately done to create a realistic portrayal of the lives of the building site labourers, and the camaraderie and humour between them, despite their oppressive work situation.

Cast:

Robert Carlyle: Stevie
Ricky Tomlinson: Larry
Emer McCourt: Susan
George Moss: Mo
Jim R. Coleman: Shem
David Finch: Kevin

Trivia:

Riff-Raff's low budget meant there was only five weeks of shooting time. The director, Ken Loach, also gave the actors very little advance information about the roles they played, and threw in some unplanned events during filming to generate spontaneous reactions.

When’s it on?

Riff Raff is on STV on Monday, June 29, at 10.35pm (time subject to change).
 

Last updated: 23 June 2009, 18:01