This obscure British production marked the final directorial outing for celebrated film theorist Peter Wollen. Bleak and cerebral, it boasts a tour de force of acting, some still-relevant politics, and even forward-thinking technologically.
Set in September 1970, Sullivan (Bill Paterson) is a journalist covering the troubles in Jordan at the hands of the PLO. Friendship (Tilda Swinton) joins him despite having no papers or accreditation. The topics of conversation between them get very deep, particularly as she claims to be a robot from an alien planet.
Set in only two rooms, this is a claustrophobic affair. Newsreel footage is shown depicting the war-torn territory Sullivan is there to report on, banging away on an old typewriter, much to Friendship’s concern: “It’s bad for the machine.” She has no concerns about knocking back a full tumbler of whiskey, however, since she’s not built to drink. The film has an air of a filmed stage play, all talk and no action, but is completely mesmerising, thanks to Wollen’s direction and the cinematography of Witold Stok, who gained plenty of experience working on Polish documentaries.
This was only Tilda Swinton’s second film, yet her enigmatic presence is already on show. The chemistry between Swinton and Bill Paterson is electric. The former being adept at playing burnt-out, cynical characters. It’s full of metaphors, of course, but even taken on face value, it’s an absorbing, prescient watch. Comparisons to The Day the Earth Stood Still are valid, although don’t go in expecting a regular sci-fi spectacle.
The BFI Blu-ray release has some interesting extra features, including a pair of Q&A sessions conducted over Zoom during the London Film Festival 2020, where the film was screened. The chat featuring Swinton and Paterson is the most interesting, although a discussion on Wollen’s writing and politics in his films gives the viewer more insight on Friendship’s Death. Also included is one of Wollen’s best-known shorts, Frida Kahlo and Tina Modotti (1983). If you’re wanting some thought-provoking cinema, Friendship’s Death is worth a shot.
