In the genre of police procedurals, it is common for one or more of the suspects to be suffering from mental illness. Crime often is linked to an unbalanced view of the world, a distortion of reality. In RIVER, the 2015 six-part BBC series that recently became available on Netflix streaming, the tables are turned. Instead of perps with unbalanced eyes towards their surroundings, it is the police officer who is unhinged. Detective Inspector John River of the Metropolitan Police in London, a character played with sensitivity and at times even brilliance by Stellan Skarsgard, is the focal point of RIVER.
The six-hour series was written and co-executive-produced by Abi Morgan whose writing credentials include the BBC series THE HOUR, and feature films such as BRICK LANE, SHAME, THE IRON LADY and SUFFRAGETTE. In Morgan’s teleplay, the viewer meets River in a car with his colleague and close mate, Detective Sargent Jackie "Stevie" Stevenson, played by Nicola Walker. She is known to American audiences mainly for being Derek Jacobi’s daughter in LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX.
In this opening sequence, River and Stevenson are chatting about fast food and weight watchers. It looks so commonplace, feels so normal. Very soon, however, the viewer learns that River has witnessed “Stevie’s” murder. There is no more “Stevie.” Yet, in River’s mind, “Stevie” remains at his side.
Now one might ask how a man who has problems with reality, a man who admits to seeing “manifests” of dead people (no, not ghosts, he says) could rise within the London police force. Simple. River is a superb policeman with an 80% success record.
As the series progresses, one begins to understand how River’s mind works to solve murder cases. Bit by bit, through careful study of facts and behavior, River reaches accurate conclusions. And as the episodes unfold, elements of River’s off-balance mindset and “Stevie’s” complex personality and lifestyle become more evident. How River has felt about his Sargent and what he comes to find out about her are at the crux of this series’ excitement and suspense.
River is a sad and troubled character. Even on a sunny day, or in the London Tube, or at home, he is escorted by unearthly demons. His sudden brief bursts of joy are dependent upon “Stevie” and her joie de vivre. In six hours of mostly dim-lit neo-noir drama, those moments of exhilaration have incredible intensity. As improbable as it may seem, adding to the emotion of these moments is the use of a 1976 British disco hit tune by Tina Charles called “I Love to Love (But My Baby Just Loves to Dance).”
For those who love the city of London, its landmark bridges and buildings, and its cosmopolitan air, there are many interesting location shoots. One minute the scene is a cheap kabob take-out store, the next is a panorama of modern office buildings in the docklands area.
RIVER has an able cast, including Lesley Manville as River’s superior officer who has problems of her own, and AdeelAkhtar as his new Sargent, one of the few characters in the series who has a healthy lifestyle and a strong sense of humanity.
I have seen StellanSkarsgard in a good number of films, enough to say that River is among his standout performances. While it is unpleasant to be caught up in the disturbed mental state of DI River, this series with its intricate script, fine acting, and emotional force, makes the experience worthwhile.
Audrey Kupferberg is a film and video archivist and appraiser. She is lecturer emeritus and the former Director of Film Studies at the University at Albany and has co-authored several entertainment biographies with her husband and creative partner, Rob Edelman.
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