Diane (1975) directed by Alan Clarke – A Film Review

Alan Clarke was one of the great social realist directors of British cinema, and in this made for television production he presents a melancholy story of a naïve young woman and the strange relationship she shares with her father. However, unlike many of his more hard hitting works like Scum (1979 & 1977) and Made in Britain (1982) it fails to leave the same kind of deep impact.

The titular character Diane is quiet really. She seems somewhat passive and childish in her aloofness. Throughout the film we see her interactions with friends, with boyfriends and with more authoritative figures: like the local priest and her father. The scenes are nicely framed, well acted with a strong mise-en-scene, but overall there’s a lack of cohesion in the narrative structure.

In the first half of the film there is a slow burn. There is a mystery about Diane and we want to know what it is. Then about half way through the picture we get the revelation. From there on out the film had a kind of flatness about it. The writing (scene by scene, viewed on its own) was still good. Direction as well was still strong, but it was as though the story had lost its way. It had lost its point and meaning.

The second half of the film could perhaps be viewed better on it’s own. As we see Diane trying to move forward from the previous events.  But even with this in mind, the second half felt dull.

Yet that isn’t to say that there aren’t any worthy points of recommendation for this film. The direction of Alan Clarke (as always) is a stand out. Here he frames his scenes in a very concise and self-contained manner. Many directors like to shoot and cut scenes up to provide a distinct variety to their scenes, whereas Clarke does just the opposite. He sets his action in the frame and naturally lets it unfold. There’s something very exciting and brave about this method of filmmaking; it’s quite reminiscent of the Japanese master Yasujirō Ozu really.

From a technical standpoint, the film is great. Truly it features some excellent minimalist, naturalistic performances. The shot composition and direction on the whole are fantastic. However with a wishy-washy script and drab second half the film seems to just flounder. If the film had been made as two separate stories then the results may be different. But as it stands, it isn’t really worth the watch.