Red Shift (1978)

×

Red Shift (1978)

Close

Made by the BBC back in 1978 this was an adaptation of the book of the same name by Alan Garner. It tells of three men from different periods in history, who all come to the same mystical hill – Mow Top Hill – to rid themselves of their troubles. One is modern day and that means 1978 and one Roman and I think the third is around the time of the English Civil War. A strange, but beautiful hand carved axe seems to be the link.

To say any more would be too much and not enough. There are three perfectly paced stories here and all would stand up to individual scrutiny in their own right. The acting is a bit 'stagey' at times in terms of the dialogue, but you could get away with it in those days. This is very much theatre and as such is an art form – no grubby kitchen sink drama to be worried about. The acting is all very good and the locations are great, I particularly like the trains – some of which are still being used on my line today (I am not joking).

This is one that will keep you guessing right until the end and even if you get it right – you will not want to be. This is how things used to be made; with time, effort and attention to every detail going into it. When you see the production values you would think this was a film and not made for a one off broadcast on television. This is another gem from the archives that we have to thank the BFI for – I just hope they keep digging them out.

×

Red Shift (1978)

Close