Firm/Elephant

THE FIRM: The ever in-tune Alan Clarke turns his attentions to another disease gnawing away at the bones of society: soccer violence. A huge fan of the sport, Clarke sought to distance the game from the acts of violence that tarnished its name. Gary Oldman stars as Bex, the leader of a gang of brutal hooligans. Embodying traits familiar to many of Clarke's central characters, Oldman perfectly juxtaposes Bex's above-average intellect with extreme, mindless violence.

ELEPHANT offers a unique drama based on the troubles that beset Belfast in the late 1980s. A movie with barely any dialogue or narrative, Clarke simply lets his wandering camera follow numerous murderers as they encounter and shoot their victims. The title inspired the 2003 Gus Van Sant film of the same name, and is an austere final entry into Clarke's cinematic canon, made just one year before his death.