Behold The Lamb (John McllDuff 2011):UK

Reviewed by Barbara Rowland. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2012.

Drugs, a lamb and a mismatched duo are nouns best describing this dark comedy. While viewing a late night screening of this film many emotions passed during the following 85mins. I began to question this film’s purpose. Was this film attempting to trigger humor or evoke sorrowful human emotion? I believe both opportunities are available for the taking depending on your sense of humor and perspective.

Under the direction of John McllDuff Behold the Lamb takes places as his first full length feature film. While maintaining popular status among the Irish Film and Television Awards this film may have to answer to it’s lack of appreciation or translation into American culture. With respected performances by Aoife Duffin, who portrays runaway mother Liz, and Shaun Paul Mcgrath as unusual sidekick Eddie, Behold The Lamb, stood out as an unconventional piece of tragic comedy.

Under the gray cold skies we first meet Liz, Joe and Achilles, Joe’s dead dog. Liz, a young drug addict, and Joe her momentary counterpart are found sleeping in her car stinking of dog piss. Joe and Liz wake to find Joe’s biological father Eddie on the search for Joe, who has seemingly created a lot of trouble back home. Joe runs away leaving Liz with a riddled Eddie and problems in dire need of solution. Eddie demands use of Liz’s car and this agreement takes the duet on a journey of misfortune and realization. The plot thickens along the trip as Eddie adopts a drug bearing lamb from a sleazy semi driver who requires a sexual experience from Liz in return. With the use of a gun and clever quick decisions, the pair makes a unique get-away to escape and deliver the lamb. The film then transitions from comedic methodology to a serious format. This change is used to best describe Liz’s estranged relationship from her young handicapped son. She insists on visiting her son to help celebrate a belated birthday as sorrow seeps into the plot. Speeding on the connection between Eddie, Liz and of course the Lamb grows as their voyage continues.

While again the purpose of this film can be questioned, the key take aways from this film lay hidden in the human relationships. The film reminds us to “take care” of ourselves and to believe in the opportunity of connections with others. This is expressed in the lack care both Liz and Eddie take on for themselves. The mise-en-scene suggests these themes as well. Liz and Eddie’s costumes remain within the look of dissheveled human beings. Liz’s clothing appears unwashed and slightly tattered. Her attire suggests an unkempt lifestyle, while Eddie moves around in a well worn shirt and pants. Eddie also never explains a beaten, bleeding cheek. We as an audience are certainly left wondering: what has happened to these people?  As extraordinary as the story is the setting is fitting to the story. It is hard to escape the confines of cloudy skies and cold weather throughout, even while traveling across country. The choice of scenery may comply with the film’s budget but also is linear with the story. Coincidence? Possibly.

While Behold the Lamb may not be conventional it certainly has it’s moments. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film recurs as a new appointed piece of cult cinema.