Jonathan Brown, Extra! Extra! Fri, 2010-02-05 00:00

Praise to the lighting designer (Paul Green), the sound designer (Sam Ward) for often stark, unflattering, sometimes casino-esque lighting and for brooding, almost soul-less music, to create a foul nation-state in which we watched a society slowly eat itself alive. Nasty! As mentioned, the only dull aspect becomes the repetition of the act of murder and betrayal, like the dull black office-garb commute to dream-killing work in London, or the large-scale drudge of the “processing” in the death camps. This image, of the industrialisation of death seems fortified by the use of glaring white floodlight-like lights, for me implying some extermination camp-level of disregard for humanity. The lighting sometimes became more intimate, but often only during yet another man’s murder – as in the intimacy between the assassin (Tyrell) and the victim. Again, the perfect repetition. As each time, we see Tyrell quietly, sadly, listen to the protestations of his intended, and squat down to his black shoulder bag, slowly pull out the tools of his trade. We know what is to come. The menace deepens, each time.