Loving Memory

Really not what you'd expect to be Tony Scott's debut, this low-key black and white kitchen-sink drama less than an hour long has all the features of the teleplays that were being produced for the BBC in those years. It's proficient, but not quite as interesting as its premise may imply.

Tony's debut is unlike any he done after. Firstly it's in black and white, tho that probably mostly is an budgetary choice. Secondly it's a subdued character movie consisting of three characters, of which one of them is dead, the other doesn't speak and the third offers monologue to the dead person. It also is beautiful shot by Chris Menges, cinematographer also for Kes and The War Game.

Tony Scott's debut, filmed under the name Anthony, bears zero resemblance to the flashy style he became famous for. It is a largely understated drama shot in the British countryside in black and white that contains unexpected moments of psychological complexity, and it's worth a look for fans of Scott, especially as it hints at a future direction that never materialised.