Burning An Illusion

This 1981 film marked a coming-of-age for Black British Cinema and was critically acclaimed. The story revolves around a seemingly doomed love affair set against the backdrop of Thatcher’s London.

Addressing topics such as finding ones place in a society disconnected from their own cultural background, emotional and political growth among young black people in London during the early 80s and tensions among their own community, the film tells the story of Pat Williams (Cassie McFarlane), a young black woman who not only has caring parents but also a job which she likes and - better still – her own flat. Pat has very ordinary ambitions, mainly getting married, having kids and a life of middle-class stability. However, her humble ambitions come crashing down the day she meets Del Bennett (Victor Romero Evans) – an initially charming young fella who works as a machinist and toolmaker (a job he loathes) and it’s after he loses his job due to his constant bad time-keeping, tensions with his white boss and colleagues that his true colours shine through – and they’re not pretty ones!

We learn about Pat and her ambitions from the film’s outset as she introduces herself via voice-over during a friend’s party. Later that night, Pat’s friend Sonya (Beverly Martin) offers her a lift home. Also in the car is Sonya’s boyfriend Chamberlain (Malcolm Fredericks) who later on turns out to be a controlling bullyboy and a mutual friend of theirs, Del, who immediately seems interested in Pat.
Having succeeded in getting Pat’s phone number, Del rings soon after to ask her out though initially she isn’t too pleased, seeing how it is actually the phone number for her parent’s house! After dinner in what Del claims to be ‘the best black restaurant in town’ (basically, it’s nothing more than a Caribbean version of a Greasy Spoon) he is disappointed when Pat doesn’t invite him back to the flat but she’s a good girl who has been brought up properly, you know…

After several more dates things seem to go well and Pat even introduces Del to her parents and siblings. One evening he appears at her flat with a suitcase ready to move in and claims he’s had a row with his old man though the real motives aren’t clear. At first, Pat seems happy as her dream of a cosy middle-class existence with a man she loves has become reality but then Del loses his job, apparently because his boss is a racist and has had him fired. Whether this is the truth is a moot point for the actual truth is that Del was not only constantly late but – in contrast to Pat – hated his job. Things soon go from bad to worse when it becomes clear that Del is in no hurry to find a new job, after all, why should he? His devoted girlfriend is bringing home the dough and does the cooking and cleaning. When Pat begins to pester him about looking for work he lies to her that he is but in fact he is just hanging about in betting shops along with his chums (does this sound familiar by any chance), including the vile Chamberlain. As if it weren’t enough heartache for Pat, within no time Del invites his pals back to her place where they indulge in drinking, card games and oh, can’t you just smell the ganja? Ya man, rastafari…

Naïve enough to believe that Del will change his ways, Pat has a rude awakening when more and more bills arrive in the letterbox but no contributions from Del can be expected. One afternoon and after a fierce argument he knocks her about in a rage and that’s when she finally throws him out of the flat – something she should have done weeks ago!

Some time passes and Pat at least seems to have climbed up in the world with a better job until one day, a remorseful Del follows her from work and tries to apologise for his former behaviour. Don’t fall for it gal, just don’t. But she does fall for it and well, now they are an item again – until an incident occurs which changes their lives and their political stance forever…

Although the film is set in a London during Thatcher’s time the issues addressed here are pretty much timeless and it’s a credit to director Menelik Shabazz and everyone involved that it didn’t turn out to be one of those downbeat ‘kitchen sink’ dramas (albeit with strong undertones of racism, identity and alienation). Thanks to the central plot being a love story, the film, by using a gentler and more diplomatic tactic, invites us to address certain issues as opposed to shove them down our throat.

Cassie McFarlane cuts an impressive figure as the long suffering Pat and in the same year appeared as ‘Iras’ in ANTONY & CLEOPATRA with Colin Blakely and Jane Lapotaire. As for Victor Romero Evans (who speaks with a much more heavy accent in the film), after numerous appearances mainly in British TV-series he even made it into the 1990 Steve Segal film MARKED FOR DEATH.

This HD Blu-ray release includes the following Bonus Material:
Vintage commentary by director and main actors, Intro to the film by director M. Shabazz, the short docu ‘Blood Ah Goh Run’ (1982) about the infamous New Cross Fire of 1981, the 29min docu ‘Step Forward Youth’ from 1977 comprised of interviews with first-generation Black British youth, original trailer, gallery, plus illustrated booklet (first pressing only).