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Skallagrigg (BBC, 1994), adapted from the novel by Bill Horwood, is an
adventure story that explores issues around disability. Whereas a film like My
Left Foot (d. Jim Sheridan, 1989) portrays the struggle of the disabled
protagonist to prove himself in the world, Skallagrigg starts from the opposite
premise, challenging the able-bodied anti-hero John - and the
viewer - to enter into disabled culture and see the world from an alternative
point of view.
The complex narrative structure - a story within a story revealed by
different characters and moving backwards and forwards through time - is held
together by a simple plot. The film begins with a description of Arthur, a young
boy with cerebral palsy, who is removed from his loving family in the 1930s and
incarcerated in an institution. It is a world deprived of daylight and
affection, where sadistic wardens stalk the corridors and residents can never
hope to escape. From this horrific beginning the film jumps to the present and a
'special school' for the disabled. Here, the disabled teenagers are rebellious,
sarcastic and demanding, while their adult carers are well meaning but inept;
that is, the ones who aren't downright ignorant, like Esther's grandmother. The
juxtaposition underlies the strengths and ultimately the inherent problems of
the drama. The film has two difficult and compelling stories to tell. However,
simply piling on the contradictions and multiplying the perspectives tends to
drive them further apart. While this can make for a richly layered novel, as
screen drama the meaning becomes as enigmatic and mysterious as the story it is
pursuing.
The story of Esther's relationship with her father - her coming of age and
his coming to terms with the fact of her disability - is sensitively handled.
Her awkward, teenage, bullish attitude is wonderfully expressed, and her father,
John, exhibits the anxiety and wrong footedness of a parent suffering with guilt
and love. Esther's journey confronts her with the big questions of life: What
are you looking for? Where are you looking? It also explores her deepest fears
and resentments. Arthur's pain is her pain, and both need Skallagrigg to
reassure them that love and understanding is possible in the world.
Skallagrigg is provocative, challenging drama. It offers a unique perspective
on the world, while addressing serious issues about the treatment of disabled
people in the past as well as the present.
Ann Ogidi
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1. The Birthday party (3:43)
