Lapwing

Tormenting and menacing, Lapwing, filmed in a picturesque setting on the Lincolnshire coast in just 16 days, meant that the production was rushed, but still provided stark contrast between setting and place.

The female mute perspective of Patience, with a 16th Century helplessness of women, provides aspects that can be carried across to modern day. The film contrasted this with a cathartic finish. Patience is the perfect name for this character, providing reflections of those who experience oppression even in a modern context, her silence speaks volumes.

Character development was flawed, matching the characters themselves. David was as menacing as his troubles, and the hatred the audience developed for him was not entirely devoid of compassion.

Characters that could have been developed further were the Egyptians, and the hardship faced by them, along with more references to the gypsy way of life, which was more of a footnote in the film. This would have excelled Lapwing into its true pinned wing vision, echoing the discrimination that immigrants faced both then and now.

Worth a watch for the scenery, violent emotive nature, and provocation it awakened in thought.