The Black Panther (1977)
The Black Panther (1977)
DVD9 | VIDEO_TS | PAL 16:9 | 01:33:32 | 7,70 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 320 Kbps; French AC3 2.0 @ 224 Kbps | Subs: English SDH
Genre: Crime, Thriller
DVD9 | VIDEO_TS | PAL 16:9 | 01:33:32 | 7,70 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 320 Kbps; French AC3 2.0 @ 224 Kbps | Subs: English SDH
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Director: Ian Merrick
Stars: Donald Sumpter, Debbie Farrington, Marjorie Yates
Directed by Ian Merrick, this intelligent crime drama charts the infamous killing spree which Donald Neilson, aka the Black Panther, perpetrated across England during the mid-70s, culminating in the kidnapping and death of a 17-year old girl. Told with uncommon accuracy and refraining from any measure of sensationalism, this fascinating and disturbing film fell foul of a media-driven campaign upon its original cinema release which resulted in an effective ban.
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The Black Panther (1977)
Donald Neilson died late last year, aged 75, whilst serving five concurrent life sentences at Norwich Prison. In 1976 he’d been convicted for kidnapping, blackmail, burglary, firearm possession and four murders. Three of his victims were postmasters or their spouses, each the result of bungled night time raids on community post offices. The fourth was a result of the botched kidnapping; 17-year-old Lesley Whittle was found hanging in complete darkness in a disused ventilation shaft in Staffordshire. Such were the severity of his crimes that Neilson was placed on the ‘whole-life tariff’ list of prisoners sentenced to die in prison, an appeal to reduce his sentence having been turned down in 2008. Others on that list include Rose West, Ian Brady and Peter Sutcliffe.
The Black Panther (1977)
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Shortly after his arrest Neilson would provide the subject for a pair of true crime books. The first, The Black Panther Story by journalist Steven Valentine, was published the same month as he was sentenced. The second, Harry Hawke’s Capture of the Black Panther: Casebook of a Killer, arrived at the end of 1978. Both made it to the shelves safely and without a fuss. Yet when first-time director Ian Merrick produced a feature film account of Neilson’s crimes the reaction was far from favourable. The tabloid media, which had sensationalised the man - dubbing him the Black Panther - and perhaps even hindered the police investigation, called for it to be banned. Even the BBC’s Newsnight, which Merrick agreed to be interviewed on, levelled accusations that his film was “sick”. Consequently a national theatrical run was cancelled and the producer-director lost a great deal of money. He went to American to work with Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios, whilst The Black Panther slipped into obscurity.
The Black Panther (1977)
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Almost 35 years after the film disappeared (an initial run was limited to five British cinemas, one of which cancelled as a result of freezing weather) the BFI has seen fit to resurrect and rehabilitate Merrick’s directorial debut. Now entirely free of the tabloid hype and hysteria, we are allowed to see The Black Panther as it originally intended. This isn’t some salacious cash-in on Neilson’s infamy but a serious attempt to understand the man and his crimes. The subject matter undoubtedly has the potential to inspire a piece of opportunistic trash, yet this couldn’t be further from what we see on the screen. Merrick and screenwriter Michael Armstrong (best known for his 1970 horror flick Mark of the Devil) relied almost solely on transcripts and interviews, in some cases quoting dialogue verbatim. Their intentions, therefore, were much closer to a work such as Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood than they were to the latest exploitation thriller playing in the fleapits.
The Black Panther (1977)
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This adherence to the facts means a close contact with Neilson throughout. It is only around the 70-minute mark that we get a shift in perspective thanks to a need to encompass the police investigation as well. Up until that point we are solely within the head of the man himself. However, dialogue is sparse and a voice-over is non-existent leaving us to simply watch and draw our own conclusions. Importantly Neilson is never once glorified - quite the opposite, in fact. We find a man who, for all his meticulous planning, never manages to execute one of these burglaries correctly. Indeed, it was his very incompetence which killed four people. That’s a dangerous combination and one which we must square with information presented. This is a husband and a father as well as a murderer. This is a man with a background in the army who also shows signs of racism, self-absorption and taciturnity. His workshop is full of books on warfare and military history and seemingly contains an arsenal of weaponry. The coffee table in the front room holds a Commando comic book as well as the daily newspaper. And not once does he show the slightest twinge of emotion when it comes to the killings. All of these details are presented without comment, left for us to discern and analyse.
The Black Panther (1977)
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Neilson is played by Donald Sumpter, a prolific actor though not one who’s overly familiar. He’s appeared in everything from the original Doctor Who series and British sex comedies to, more recently, Game of Thrones and the David Fincher version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Such continued diversity should demonstrate his qualities as a performer, not to mention his ability to disappear into his roles. Sumpter isn’t a movie star and with that comes a welcome lack of self-awareness. There is no attempt to make Neilson likeable or appealing nor is there any baggage from Sumpter’s other roles to interfere with this portrayal. Adding to this sense of a blank slate is the decision not to make plain the motivations behind these crimes. Once again we are trusted to draw our own conclusions. Is he replacing his former military experiences with self-composed scenarios as a means of replicating their adrenaline? Indeed, does he even intend for them not to go fully to plan so as to test himself and his ability to cope in extreme situations? He clearly enjoys living off the land when called upon and existing in a state of pure isolation.
The Black Panther (1977)
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Sumpter’s lack of star appeal also shows up the aversion to movie gloss throughout The Black Panther. He’s backed up by a cast who either had little experience or were associated more readily with television work. As with Sumpter that provides a host of solid turns as well as maintaining the film’s low-key qualities. There’s no showboating nor are there any scene-stealing cameos. The approach is wholly respectful, both to the intentions of the screenplay and to the subject matter as a whole. Merrick’s direction recognises that there isn’t a need to dress this material up. The violence is stark, sudden and makes an immediate impact. Not once does the camera linger. Even a scene as simple as Neilson following Whittle down the street as he plans his kidnap is remarkable in its dramatic force. Merrick understands the power of these moments and lets them speak for themselves.
The Black Panther (1977)
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This combination of the shocking and the ordinary is ultimately the reason why The Black Panther succeeds. It demystifies Neilson without ever diminishing just how awful his crimes were. There is no celebration here nor is there any exploitation. We simply have a matter-of-fact portrait of a sad, disturbed individual who would ruin the lives of many people. For all the tabloid fuss at the time of its production, the film actually reclaims Neilson from the Black Panther persona they had created. He isn’t worth the hyped-up copy and paper-shifting headlines. He’s just a man, and a pathetic one at that.
The Black Panther (1977)
Special Features:
- 'Recluse - 1979 short film based on real events directed by Bob Bentley & starring Maurice Denham (27:26)
- 'Recluse: Recce Footage (1978) with commentary by director Bob Bentley (7:13)
- Original 1980s video release trailer
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