DVD Reviews

The Damned United - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Feb 27, 2010, 13:44 GMT

From the Academy Award-nominated writer of The Queen and Frost/Nixon, The Damned United is based on the incredible true story of Brian Clough, one of England’s greatest soccer managers and his 44 controversial days at the helm of reigning champs Leeds United. Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and Twilight Saga: New Moon) triumphs as Clough starring alongside a winning ensemble cast that includes Timothy Spall (Harry Potter ...more

Not your typical sports film, finds a coach with a grudge rising to manage the team that he has the same grudge against.  Instead of rising above the situation, he only stokes the fires of self-destruction and causes a conflagration that ends up costing him his job.  

Brian Clough (Michael Sheen) is known as the most successful football (we Yanks should substitute soccer here) manager that England has ever seen.  He would take the Nottingham Forest team to two back-to-back European Cups is the thing of legend and statues have been built to celebrate that fact.  That’s not what the movie is about.

Clough got his start as a football manager in Derby under frugal team chairman Sam Longson (Jim Broadbent) and with his right-hand-man Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall).  In 1968, his team is put into a matchup with the highly touted Leeds United.  Clough busies himself to make his clubhouse presentable and envisions a meeting of equals with renowned Leeds United coach Don Revie (Colm Meaney). 

The Derby lads are roundly beaten with Leeds dirty tricks and, even more enraging to Clough, Coach Revie ignores Clough and doesn’t even have the courtesy to shake his hand.  Clough makes it his obsession to get even with Revie and beat Leeds United.  In 1974, Don Revie is called upon to manage England National leaving the manager of Leeds United open. 

Brian Clough is asked to step into Revie’s shoes which he does, against the advice of his right-hand Taylor, who declines to go with him.  Clough’s methods with the team start off with insulting the revered Revie and making it known that he doesn’t thing well of Leeds’ dirty tricks on the field.  It was a football marriage doomed from the beginning.  

All that is missing from Brian Clough, or this movies version of him – don’t know anything about the real fellow - is a whalebone peg leg.  The man is obsessed as Captain Ahab and it too would lead to his downfall.  He despises the team that he’s called to coach as well as his beloved predecessor.  Even worse, he’s not all that quiet about that loathing. 

The bigger story might be that he fell and rose again like a phoenix from the ashes.  However, the drama of his Leeds career is what this film covers and his resurrection is only mentioned in a closing text crawl (maybe a sequel someday, if the film made enough cash?). 

I’m certainly no English football expert and can only address the Damned United as a film.  In that aspect, it’s a bravado performance on the part of Michael Sheen.  Clough was a character and Sheen portrays him memorably. 

Each role is filled with a quality actor.  Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, and Jim Broadbent are also grand in their roles.  Even I, having no interest in English sports, was drawn into the tale of self-destruction that was almost Shakespearian (those luvly English accents always put me in a mind to Will S.). 

Of course, that obsession is in the mind of the person obsessing alone and there’s not a whit of care for those that will be hurt in the pursuit of their single-minded revenge.  It will perhaps mean more to those that follow the sport but those looking for fine performances or an anti-sports movie might find something to cheer about as well.  

The Damned United is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (1.85:1).  Special features are presented in high definition and include a commentary by director Tom Hooper, Michael Sheen, and producer Andy Harries.  Special features are presented in high definition. 

The 16 minute “Perfect Pitch” is a making of.  The 10 minute “Creating Clough” looks at the effort Sheen put into recreating the famous footballer.  The 9 minute “Remembering Brian” is a collection of interviews of those that knew the late Clough.  The 19 minute “The Changing Game” looks at the game in the 1970s. 

You also get over 30 minutes of deleted scenes with an optional commentary by Hooper and 9 minute of “Clough-isms” that are the television segments shot for the film.  The disc is also BD-Live enhanced.  

The Damned United is a damned good movie [I just HAD to do that].  Not only is it not your typical sports movie, but it has a fine performance from Michael Sheen.  It’s the dramatic tale of one man’s self destruction and eventual, not really covered in this particular film, rise back to glory.  

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