ART OF ACTION: The Raid (18)

In a high rise building in Jakarta, Rama, a rookie member of an elite team of commandos hangs back while his fellow officers go ahead with the mission to take down a brutal crime lord called Tama. However, their cover is blown, and Tama offers sanctuary to every criminal in the apartment block in exchange for the cops' heads. Now Rama must take command and lead his remaining team on an ultraviolent charge through the building to complete (and survive) the mission. With whip-crack pacing and innovative filming techniques we are taken on an intense ride into redemption by Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans.

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The Welsh in Action

We take a look at three action films from Wales, the 50s film noir Hell Drivers with smouldering Stanley Baker; 90s anarchy unleashed in Twin Town and modern game-changer The Raid, which showcases the talent of Jakarta via Hirwaun.

These three snapshots of how Wales has been key to some very different moments in British film and how these films showcase Welsh identity in the film industry. Stanley Baker, came up in the theatre world at the same time as Richard Burton, but often cast as the thug, leaning into ideas of ‘Taffy’ at the time, but his intelligence and skills gained him respect meaning that as a producer he later got films such as Zulu made bringing a more nuanced idea of Wales to the wider world. Twin Town crashed through the idea of noble Welsh valleys by having the joyriding brothers tearing through the streets in the opening scene. Made in the confident, crass Britpop years, it made a point of celebrating a fuller picture of Welsh culture: violence, drugs and dark humour. Finally we look at the The Raid, made by Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans whose early documentary on the martial art Pencak Silat took him to Indonesia where he conceived this innovative film which has become one of the most highly regarded Action films in recent years. Through thrills and spills we look at how Welsh talent has launched itself upon the world.