Genre:

TV, mini, Drama, Scifi, Thriller. Released 1996 in UK

Synopsis:

Cold Lazarus is a television play written by Dennis Potter with the knowledge that he was dying from cancer of the pancreas. Potter was racing against the clock to finish Lazarus before he died. It is funny, weird, mysterious and profound -- a rare combination for any medium. It helps to know a bit of Potter's bio to fully appreciate the depth of this accomplishment.

A great moment comes when slimy TV producer Siltz exults in the opportunity to own a writer's mind (literally) in order to exploit it. Just can imagine the smile on Potter's face when he first conceived that scene, seeing it as a metaphor for his showbiz struggles with the Siltzes of the world.

Anyone who appreciates great writing will love this. Dennis Potter wrote a brilliant script about his own death. It is doubtful anyone will top his feat for a long time.

Cold Lazarus is set in the 24th century, in a dystopian Britain where the ruined streets are unsafe, and where society is run by American oligarchs in charge of powerful commercial corporations. Experiences are almost all virtual, and anything deemed authentic (such as coffee and cigarettes) has either been banned or replaced by synthetic substitutes.

At a cryogenic research institute funded by the pharmaceuticals tycoon Martina Masdon (played by Diane Ladd), a group of scientists led by Dr. Emma Porlock (Frances de la Tour) is working on reviving the mind of the 20th century writer Daniel Feeld (Albert Finney). Unable to see any profit in the project, Masdon considers discontinuing it, but the media mogul Daniel Siltz (Henry Goodman), who has been spying on Masdon, envisages making a fortune from broadcasting Feeld’s memories on TV, and proposes to Porlock that her team work for him. Porlock accepts, and her team begins to gain access to Feeld’s mind.

Porlock is unaware that a member of her team, Fyodor Glazunov (Ciaran Hinds) is a member of the resistance group RON (‘Reality Or Nothing’), which attempts to undermine the reliance of society upon advanced technology by carrying out violent attacks. Glazunov identifies Kaya, another of Porlock’s team, as a potential recruit to his superior Andrew Milton (David Foxxe), but Milton kills Kaya, believing her unsuitable. Angered by Kaya’s murder, Glazunov kills Milton. Porlock then discovers the truth about Glazunov but, being sympathetic with the RON movement, consults with him about the Siltz deal. Glazunov approves of the broadcast of Feeld’s memories, which he believes might provoke a revolt against the ‘inauthentic’ life propagated by the authorities.

As more of Feeld’s thoughts and memories are unearthed, it becomes evident not only that Feeld’s mind is conscious of its predicament, but also that Feeld is attempting to communicate with the scientists, and is pleading to be allowed to die. Glazunov and Porlock conspire to sabotage the experiment, but Siltz discovers the conspiracy, and visits the laboratory, accompanied by armed guards. After dismissing the rest of the team, Glazunov barricades himself inside the laboratory and a battle ensues in which Siltz, Glazunov and Feeld are all killed.

It forms the second half of a pair with the television serial Karaoke. The two serials were filmed as a single production by the same team; both were directed by Renny Rye and feature Albert Finney as the writer Daniel Feeld. The plays were unique in being co-productions between the BBC and Channel 4, something Potter had expressly requested before his death. The show was first aired on Channel 4 in 1996 on Sunday evenings, with a repeat on BBC1 the following day.

Parts of Karaoke and Cold Lazarus were filmed in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, which is where Dennis Potter was born and raised, and children from local schools including St. Briavels Parochial Primary School starred in the film as extras in flashbacks.

Unfortunately, a side effect of his last wishes for the BBC and Channel 4 to collaborate on these works has been that the copyright and further usage rights to the works has remained unclear. For this reason neither Karaoke or Cold Lazarus are available on DVD

Keeley Hawes role:

Linda Langer

External Link:

• IMDb