Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £6.99 a month
The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael
Thomas Clay’s unflinching story of teen drugs and violence scandalised the British film industry 20 years ago, but is arguably ripe for rehabilitation
Director: Thomas Clay
Overview
Viewer discretion is advised for Thomas Clay’s audacious but disturbing debut feature, which follows introverted teenager Robert, as he drifts into a world of violence and moral desensitisation after taking drugs with classmates Joe and Ben. When Joe’s cousin arrives on the scene after spending time in prison, events quickly escalate towards a chilling act that will devastate the sleepy community.
Two decades have passed since Thomas Clay’s arthouse shocker scandalised Cannes 2005, and subsequently the British film industry. Languishing unreleased for over a year, it eventually received a cursory and critically derided UK release in 2006 – marketed as a Danny Dyer crime vehicle (he takes a small role) - before disappearing for two decades. But has it overstayed its spell in purgatory? While the film’s notorious scenes of sexual violence are distressing, such scenes were also prevalent in many French films from the period (‘New French Extremity’) that seemed to avoid widespread denouncement, with the critical establishment curtly quick to turn on a 25-year-old filmmaker who financed his film entirely outside the formal structures of the British film industry. And Clay clearly displays an effective grasp of film grammar, augmented by Yorgos Arvanitis’ trademark languid tracking shots which give the film a keen visual style. Audiences will remain divided as to whether Clay’s approach is suitable or lucidly expresses the work’s underlying themes, but while it may not be another Peeping Tom, The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael at least deserves its chance for a second look.
Contains very strong sexual violenceRelated
Traffic Traffic
Crime 2000 147 mins Director: Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning ensemble drama explores America’s war on drugs at the start of the 21st century.
Tell No One Tell No One
Crime 2006 131 mins Director: Guillaume Canet
A grieving man becomes convinced he is being framed for murder in Guillaume Canet’s gripping thriller, adapted from the Harlan Coben bestseller.
Diva Diva
Thriller 1981 117 mins Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix
A postal worker’s secret opera recording sparks a gripping chase through Paris in Jean-Jacques Beineix’s (Betty Blue) stylish crime-thriller.
Manhunter Manhunter
Crime 1986 124 mins Director: Michael Mann
Michael Mann’s chilling and stylish adaptation of Thomas Harris’ bestseller introduced Hannibal Lecktor to cinema audiences for the first time.
The Ear The Ear
Thriller 1969 95 mins Director: Karel Kachyna
An official finds his home under surveillance and his marriage facing turbulence in this Orwellian portrait of life in Communist-era Czechoslovakia.
White of the Eye White of the Eye
Thriller 1987 111 mins Director: Donald Cammell
British visionary Donald Cammell directs this kaleidoscopic, highly stylised thriller about a series of brutal murders in an isolated community.
Audition Audition
Horror 1999 115 mins Director: Takashi Miike
Takashi Miike burst to prominence with this disturbing tale of a deadly young woman who turns the tables on her middle-aged suitor.
Loveless Loveless
Drama 2017 127 mins Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Andrey Zvyagintsev delivers a caustic look at contemporary Russian society, a failed marriage and a child's disappearance.
Oldboy Oldboy
Thriller 2003 120 mins Director: Park Chan-wook
Park’s wilfully grotesque fable about an abductee trying to fathom the mysteries of his past.
Scum Scum
Drama 1979 97 mins Director: Alan Clarke
Director Alan Clarke examines the grim reality of borstal life in this searing remake of his previously banned television play.
Welcome to the Dollhouse Welcome to the Dollhouse
Drama 1995 87 mins Director: Todd Solondz
Todd Solondz’s outstanding sophomore feature is a darkly comic portrait of suburban teen angst.
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut Caligula: The Ultimate Cut
Period drama 2023 178 mins Director: Tinto Brass
Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren star in one of the most controversial films in cinema history, presented here in an entirely new cut compiled from the original rushes.
War and Peace War and Peace
Documentary 2002 134 mins Director: Anand Patwardhan
The rise of nuclear nationalism in 1990s India is explored in a powerful and personal documentary from Anand Patwardhan.
Traffic Traffic
Crime 2000 147 mins Director: Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning ensemble drama explores America’s war on drugs at the start of the 21st century.
Tell No One Tell No One
Crime 2006 131 mins Director: Guillaume Canet
A grieving man becomes convinced he is being framed for murder in Guillaume Canet’s gripping thriller, adapted from the Harlan Coben bestseller.
The Girl on a Motorcycle The Girl on a Motorcycle
Drama 1968 88 mins Director: Jack Cardiff
Marianne Faithfull is the eponymous girl in this glorious, richly colourful slice of sixties British cinema.
Sophia Loren: Reshaping Femininity Sophia Loren: Reshaping Femininity
Short documentary 2025 18 mins Director: Maha Albadrawi
Exclusive to BFI Player, a video essay exploring Sophia Loren’s 60s and 70s filmography, and how her work shook up Italian gender roles.
Moviedrome: Welcome to the Cult Moviedrome: Welcome to the Cult
Short documentary 2025 48 mins Director: Nic Wassell
Documentary, made exclusively for BFI Player, examining the history, impact and legacy of cult movie series Moviedrome