The Mark of Cain (2007 film)
Encyclopedia
The Mark of Cain is a British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Award-winning British television film first broadcast in 2007
following three young men as they experience the extremity of war for the first time, and the permanent effects of what they have seen and done as they return from their tour of duty. Rather than heroic stories, all they bring home are tawdry trophy photos, as well as the secrets of what they really did, until the consequences of their actions surface to confront them.
Produced by Red Production Company
, it was originally scheduled on Channel 4
at 9pm on 5 April 2007, but was rescheduled to April 12, 2007, in light of the detention of British service personnel by Iran
. The film's title comes from Royal Irish Regiment Colonel Tim Collins's eve-of-battle speech in Iraq in 2003.
) of the 1st Battalion, Northdale Rifles marching to a court martial. The film then cuts to Gulliver's arrival in Basra, Iraq with fellow soldier Mark Tate. Once there, they are briefed by their commanding officer, who tells them to treat the people of Iraq
with respect. While on patrol the troops are ambushed by insurgents
, and the men witness the death of their CO,Captain Godber whilst trying to rescue a Territorial Army private who is struck with shock while in a Land Rover
and is incapable of taking cover. After this the troops receive reports that the insurgents came from a village nearby.
When the troops arrive in the said village, they arrest several men suspected of being insurgents, and take them back to their base. Once there, they are told to leave the prisoners to the Royal Military Police
(RMP), but due to their anger over the death of their major, they begin to beat, torture
and sexually abuse
them. When Corporal Gant orders a reluctant Tate to join the troops he refuses at first, but is bullied into helping them. During the torture, Gulliver takes some photographs.
After the torture scene, we see as they arrive home, they resume their normal lives, during which Gulliver shows his girlfriend the pictures of the torture. After she discovers that he has been cheating on her, she reports him to the civilian police. Gant, Gulliver and Tate are subsequently arrested by the RMP.
Gant is fined, while the two privates are court-martialed. Upon hearing this, Tate kills himself. In the final scene of the films we see Gulliver's trial, he pleads guilty to all charges, but rather than solely take the blame he tells the court what Gant and the other soldiers did. When Gulliver is returned to his cell, he is beaten by his fellow soldiers.
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
Award-winning British television film first broadcast in 2007
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
following three young men as they experience the extremity of war for the first time, and the permanent effects of what they have seen and done as they return from their tour of duty. Rather than heroic stories, all they bring home are tawdry trophy photos, as well as the secrets of what they really did, until the consequences of their actions surface to confront them.
Produced by Red Production Company
Red Production Company
Red Production Company is a British independent television production company, formed in 1998 by Nicola Shindler, an experienced television producer who had worked on such prestige dramas as Our Friends in the North and Cracker...
, it was originally scheduled on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
at 9pm on 5 April 2007, but was rescheduled to April 12, 2007, in light of the detention of British service personnel by Iran
2007 Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel
Iranian military personnel seized 15 Royal Navy personnel during 2007 and held them for 13 days. On 23 March 2007, 15 British Royal Navy personnel, from HMS Cornwall, searching a merchant vessel were surrounded by the Navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and subsequently detained off the...
. The film's title comes from Royal Irish Regiment Colonel Tim Collins's eve-of-battle speech in Iraq in 2003.
Plot
The film begins with Private Shane Gulliver (Matthew McNultyMatthew McNulty
Matthew McNulty is an English actor of film and television.-Film:*Geography of the Hapless Heart as Jamie*Messengers 2: The Scarecrow as Deputy Milton...
) of the 1st Battalion, Northdale Rifles marching to a court martial. The film then cuts to Gulliver's arrival in Basra, Iraq with fellow soldier Mark Tate. Once there, they are briefed by their commanding officer, who tells them to treat the people of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
with respect. While on patrol the troops are ambushed by insurgents
Iraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
, and the men witness the death of their CO,Captain Godber whilst trying to rescue a Territorial Army private who is struck with shock while in a Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
and is incapable of taking cover. After this the troops receive reports that the insurgents came from a village nearby.
When the troops arrive in the said village, they arrest several men suspected of being insurgents, and take them back to their base. Once there, they are told to leave the prisoners to the Royal Military Police
Royal Military Police
The Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
(RMP), but due to their anger over the death of their major, they begin to beat, torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and sexually abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
them. When Corporal Gant orders a reluctant Tate to join the troops he refuses at first, but is bullied into helping them. During the torture, Gulliver takes some photographs.
After the torture scene, we see as they arrive home, they resume their normal lives, during which Gulliver shows his girlfriend the pictures of the torture. After she discovers that he has been cheating on her, she reports him to the civilian police. Gant, Gulliver and Tate are subsequently arrested by the RMP.
Gant is fined, while the two privates are court-martialed. Upon hearing this, Tate kills himself. In the final scene of the films we see Gulliver's trial, he pleads guilty to all charges, but rather than solely take the blame he tells the court what Gant and the other soldiers did. When Gulliver is returned to his cell, he is beaten by his fellow soldiers.
Cast
- Barry SloaneBarry SloaneBarry Paul Sloane is an English actor. He trained as a musician and actor before landing his first professional acting role in the film In his Life: The John Lennon Story. He has appeared in numerous TV shows, notably the BAFTA award-winning dramas Pleasureland and The Mark of Cain...
as Glynn - Matthew McNultyMatthew McNultyMatthew McNulty is an English actor of film and television.-Film:*Geography of the Hapless Heart as Jamie*Messengers 2: The Scarecrow as Deputy Milton...
as Shane Gulliver - Gerard KearnsGerard KearnsGerard Kearns is an English actor. He has appeared in film and television. He played Ian Gallagher, one of the original characters in Channel 4's Shameless, for 6 years.- Career :...
as Mark "Treacle" Tate - Leo GregoryLeo GregoryLeo Gregory is an English film and television actor. He has appeared in many films such as Green Street, Stoned, Act of Grace, Daylight Robbery, and Menace....
as L/CplLance CorporalLance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
Quealy - Shaun DooleyShaun DooleyShaun Dooley is a British actor who regularly appears on television and in British Films.-Biography:Shaun Dooley was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. He studied at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester between 1992 and 1995....
as CorporalCorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
Gant - Naomi BentleyNaomi BentleyNaomi Bentley is a British actress known for her roles in White Van Man, Primeval, Grownups, Dalziel and Pascoe and Casanova.-Acting career:Bentley graduated from a three-year acting course at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in 2004 and has since been in demand for film, theatre and TV...
as Shelley - Shaun DingwallShaun DingwallShaun Dingwall is a British actor and is known for his roles on British television.-Early life:Shaun Dingwall was born in 1972 and attended Ilford County High School for boys. His initial ambition was to become a photographer and for several years he worked as an assistant photographer within the...
- Dhaffer L'AbidineDhaffer L'AbidineDhaffer L'Abidine is a Tunisian former professional soccer player and now actor, who has starred in Sky One's Dream Team, BBC's Spooks and ITV's The Bill and more recently starred in the controversial film The Mark of Cain as Omar Abdullah.-Film:*Mark of Cain*Children of Men *The...
as Omar Abdullah - Alistair PetrieAlistair PetrieAlistair Petrie is an English actor. In 2007 he has appeared in The Mark of Cain, The Whistleblowers and Cranford. As well as other TV work such as Emma and The Forsyte Saga: To Let, he has also appeared in the music video for "Bellissimo" by Ilya, directed by the Guard Brothers...
as MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Rod Gilchrist
Critical response
- Good early reviews from variety.comVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
. - Won a BAFTA 2008 April 2008
- US Premiere at the Red Rock Film Festival November 15, 2008
Awards and nominations
- Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
's Movies That Matter award at International Film Festival RotterdamInternational Film Festival RotterdamThe International Film Festival Rotterdam is an annual film festival held in various cinemas in Rotterdam, Netherlands held at the end of January. It is approximately comparable in size to other major European festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno... - Southbank Show award for best TV drama of 2007
- Bafta Award for best single drama 2008
External links
- The Mark of Cain, official UK website
- The Mark of Cain, official US website
- Red Productions official synopsis
- Cage Prisoners, description and background