Breaking Glass

Breaking Glass is a 1980 British film starring Hazel O'Connor, Phil Daniels, and Jonathan Pryce. The film is remarkable in that it also featured in the cast (sometimes in small roles) very many actors who would eventually become major stars of film and television: Mark Wingett, Richard Griffiths, Mark Wing-Davey, Jim Broadbent, Ken Campbell, Gary Tibbs, Peter-Hugo Daly, Derek Thompson, Janine Duvitski, Michael Kitchen, Gary Olsen, Jonathan Lynn, Zoot Money, Gary Holton, and Jon Finch. The film was co-produced by Dodi Fayed and written and directed by Brian Gibson. The film's main character Kate, played by Hazel O'Connor, was named after Kate Bush who was the UK's most popular female singer at that time. A sequel "Shattered Glass" was filmed in 2002 although Hazel did not appear in it. A release date is yet to be confirmed.

Synopsis

The movie tells the story of Kate, an angry but creative young woman who through a series of lucky breaks ends up becoming one of the biggest pop stars of her day. Her friend and manager Danny (played by a young Phil Daniels) comes along for the ride. All goes well for both of them until Kate has a nervous breakdown prompted by violence at a demonstration, and the group's saxophonist Ken (Jonathan Pryce) becomes increasingly dependent on intravenous drugs. Woods, an overbearing manager, pushes Danny away and takes his place as the group's manager and Kate's boyfriend.

Assessment

The film is often held out as being an example of punk rock, but by the time it was made, the punk craze had died down and New Wave was taking its place. This is reflected in the soundtrack, which is more melodic and refined, partly thanks to the involvement of veteran producer Tony Visconti. The music strongly features saxophones, played in the movie by Pryce's character. Pryce in fact learned all the saxophone parts, so the fingering is correct, but his playing was not used in the soundtrack.

The film is also often cited as showing the mood of pre-Thatcherite Britain during the Winter of Discontent of 1978-79, with a rebellious teenage underclass, public unrest, and racial or class tensions.

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