Babylon (1980 film)  

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Babylon (1980) is a British film directed by Franco Rosso starring Brinsley Forde, frontman of Aswad and Jah Shaka as himself.

Co- written by Martin Stellman and shot by Chris Menges, Babylon is an incendiary portrait of racial tension and police brutality set in Brixton, London. The film, anchored by Dennis Bovell’s propulsive score, is partly based on Bovell’s false imprisonment for running a Jamaican sound system.

Plot

Babylon follows a young reggae DJ (Brinsley Forde, M.B.E., frontman of the British group Aswad) of the Ital 1 Lion sound system in Thatcher-era South London as he pursues his musical ambitions while also battling fiercely against the racism and xenophobia of employers, neighbours, police, and the National Front.

Cast

• Brinsley Forde as Blue
• Karl Howman as Ronnie
• Trevor Laird as Beefy
• Brian Bovell as Spark
• Victor Romero Evans as Lover
• David N. Haynes as Errol
• Archie Pool as Dreadhead
• T-Bone Wilson as Wesley
• Mel Smith as Alan
• Beverly Michaels as Elaine
• Maggie Steed as Woman at Lockup Garage
• Bill Moody as man on Balcony
• Stefan Kalipha as Fat Larry
• Beverley Dublin as Sandra
• Granville Garner as Sandra's Father
• Mark Monero as Carlton
• David Cunningham as Sir Watts
• Cosmo Laidlaw as Rastaman
• Terence Dackombe as Thug
• Mikey Campbell as Promoter
• Angus Zeb as Doorman
• Wendell McKellar as Doorman
• Frank Sylvester as Weightlifter
• David Gant as Police Commissioner
• Michael Gunn as Detective at Door
• Harry Miller as Detective at Door
• Yvonne Agard as Mrs. Watts
• Alan Igbon as Rupert
• Donovan Platt as William
• Charles Cork as CID Detective
• Gary Whelan as CID Detective
• David Macdonald as White Gang Leader
• Derek Broome as Bus Conductor
• Anthony Trent as Fence
• Patrick Worrall as Spooky
• Malcolm Frederick as Wolf
• Vilma Hollingbery as Woman in Street
• Cynthia Powell as Mum
• King Sounds as Compere
• Ann Duncan as Beefy's Girl
• Jah Shaka as himself

Production

Babylon was filmed on the streets of Deptford and Brixton, London. The story centers on sound system culture and themes of police brutality, racism, poverty, and disillusionment with lack of opportunities.

Babylon was filmed on a six-week shooting schedule, entirely on location in South London and the West End. The production headquarters were above a rambling church in Deptford. The set was totally closed to visitors, including journalists, because of the film's sensitive subject matter and the fact that shooting was taking place in an area of London where there was racial tension.

The cast of actors were carefully chosen, with the help of casting director Sheila Trezise, Franco Rosso, and Martin Stellman, who all already had many contacts within the black community. Aside from the regular actors, there were many extras. The vast majority were West Indians living around the Deptford, Lewisham, Peckham, and Croydon areas.

Produced by Gavrik Losey and the National Film Finance Corporation, the film is regarded as a classic.

Music

The film features an entirely reggae and dub soundtrack, including artists such as Yabby U, I-Roy, Aswad, and Dennis Bovell.

Soundtrack

1. Yabby You– Deliver Me From My Enemies
2. Michael Prophet– Turn Me Loose
3. Yabby You– Free Africa
4. I-Roy– Whap'n Bap'n
5. Cassandra (10)– Thank You For The Many Things You've Done
6. Aswad– Hey Jah Children
7. Aswad– Warrior Charge
8. Dennis Bovell– Beefy's Tune
9. Dennis Bovell– Manhunter
10. Dennis Bovell– Jazterpiece
11. Dennis Bovell's Dub Band*– School Skanking
12. Dennis Bovell– Living In Babylon
13. Dennis Bovell– Runnin' Away
14. Dennis Bovell's Dub Band*– Chief Inspector
15. Dennis Bovell's Dub Band*– B Flat Reggae Concerto
16. Dennis Bovell– Jazterpiece (Reggae Version)
17. Dennis Bovell– Beefy's Tune (Long Version)

Release

Babylon world-premiered at Cannes' Semaine de la critique in 1980.

It received an X rating, and was released in the United Kingdom in late 1980, and appeared at the 1981 Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 1981. Originally deemed “too controversial, and likely to incite racial tension” to play at the New York Film Festival, the film was not released in the United States until 8 March 2019. The U.S. release was distributed by Kino Lorber and Seventy-Seven.

Reception

Critical response

Babylon received praise from critics both at its original 1980 release and 2019 U.S. release. Many praised its representation of Black youth life in South London during the Thatcher-era. Wesley Morris of The New York Times chose the film as a critic's pick, claiming the film "still feels new… You’re looking at people who, in 1980 England, were, at last, being properly, seriously seen.” Hua Hsu of The New Yorker noted how "few films portray this moment in black British life quite like Franco Rosso’s Babylon".

The film also received acclaim for its themes of racial violence and police brutality. Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times called the film "assertive and ebullient... alive as a movie can be". Jaya Saxena of GQ describes Blue's journey as "a story with literally epic stakes".

The film has an approval rating of 100% based on 27 critic reviews on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Accolades

For Babylon, Franco Rosso won the 1981 Evening Standard British Film Awards Most Promising Filmmaker award.

Linking in in 2023

1980 in film, Alan Igbon, Brain Damage (album), Brinsley Forde, Chris Menges, Cinema of the United Kingdom, Dennis Bovell, Franco Rosso, Gary Whelan, Jah Shaka, Karl Howman, Kino Lorber, List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, London in film, Maggie Steed, Mamoun Hassan, Mark Monero, Martin Stellman, Mel Smith, Rage (1999 film), Sound clash, Sound system (Jamaican), Stefan Kalipha, T-Bone Wilson, Tongue n' Cheek, Trevor Laird, Vilma Hollingbery

Subtitles

Hey, Beefy, come on, move some box. Quick, quick, quick. Cho! / - Come on. / - Come on! / Easy there. / Hey, Errol! What, you not / finished moving them boxes yet? / - I'm done. / - Let's go. / Beat the banker. / I've got 5 here for ganja. / Cho! / I don't want to see you here any more. / Just go outside there and / just move the speaker boxes. / Cho. / 5 for the heart and 10 for the anchor. / I gotta raise now. / 1, 1 for the diamond. Banker's mine. / Lion! / Lion! Lion! Lion! Lion! / The soundroom play / the mighty Shaka here next week. / The winner goes to the final, brothers / and sisters, a sound called Ital Lion. / All right, now, Ital Lion / will go to the finals, see. / What you up to? / - Moca! / - Is that it for a tenner, then? / - What? / - That. / What? / Thing is moca, man, you know? / - Yeah? / - Yeah. / - Fucking needs to be for tenner, don't it? / - True. / Hey, Beefy. There's still / two boxes over there, as well. / Hey, Lover. What are you doing, / man? Don't make me look, man. Cho. / Que? / - Hey. You forgotten? / - Forgotten what? / The money. / How much do you want? / Just 2. You remember. / Tell you what, seeing as I've / got some other things to do, / I'll take that one. Yeah? / Listen, I'll see you tomorrow evening. / - Yeah? / - All right. / - Hold up your end, man. / - Just shut up, man. / - Keep on the left side. / - Just shut up, man. / Hey! / What you do that for, man? / What you mean, me? It was you, you fool. / You mashed up the box. You slack, Beefy. / Slack? It was you, rass claat, man. / No, man, you went the wrong ways. / No, man, you said left, right? / So it's left I fucking turned. / Your left is my right, / Beefy. You no see? / Cho, you too technical, man. / - David, are you up? / - Yeah. / - Aren't you up yet? / - What's the time? / Get your clothes on, it's 8:30. / I'm going to need your help with / that brother ofyours, you know. / Oh, Mum, if it's that, count me out. / Listen, you know you're the / only one can talk to him. / - He run away from me again yesterday. / - See? What I tell you? / Listen, I want you to / take him to school, okay? / Now hurry up. / If he don't want to go, / force can't hold him. / Hey! / Come here! / - Get off! / What you doing? / - What do you think you're doing? / He's trying to beat me up. / - Getting him to school. / - Leave him alone, you great bully! / He's half your bloody size. You / should be bleeding ashamed of yourself! / Go on, just clear out of / it! Do you hear, clear off! / Come on, you come down the / road with me. Clear off, I said! / Come on, you come down the road with me. / You don't worry about him, bleeding git. / Come on. / - Dave. / - Okay, mate. / Oi, Dave! / - Yeah? / - What sort of time do you call this, then? / - It's after 9:00, innit? / You're supposed to be here / at quarter to, aren't you? / - I know. / - So where were you, Dave? / - Family trouble. / - Family trouble. / Listen, I've got all fucking night / to sort out my family trouble. / You have to do yours in the morning? / Why don't you say you're out / on the piss like everyone else? / Believe what you want. / I suppose your mate Ronnie, he's / got family trouble and all, has he? / Ron, what you doing? Alan don't / know you're here, you know. / I don't even know I'm here. You know / that stuff Bill give me last night? / - Yeah? / - It done me right up. / I keep telling you, you can't take it. / No, man, it's got nothing to do / with that. I just thought to myself, / "I will go home, have a nice time, / build meself a lovely little spliff... " / - A big spliff. - Or a big spliff. / So I built this big spliff, / thought I'd have a nice draw on / it, lock meself in the bedroom, / put the headphones on, thought / I'd get in some real hard rhythm. / Next minute I know, I'm spark out on / the floor, blinking up at me old woman, / and she's shouting at / me, "Ronnie, Ronnie!" / You going to light that thing? / - Yeah, I ain't got no matches. / - Hold up. / Ta. Yeah, so what was I saying? / - Something about your old dear. / - Yeah, so, yeah, she screams, you see, / and sends my old man up the stairs. / So he comes steaming up the stairs, / trundles into the room, he sees / me on the floor then he starts. / "Cor, fuck me, doll, he's had a heart / attack. Quick, ring for an ambulance. " / - Do you know what I did then? / - No, what? / I puked over my mum's / slippers. Bad, innit? / I did, and you should / have seen the state. / - What, your puke? / - No, her slippers. / Come off it, Ronnie, / you're having me on. / No, man, I tell you, that stuff's / a real killer. Promise you. / Pass the torch over for / us. Carry that, will you? / Given me a rightjob. / - Here, listen, I'm going home, right? / - You've only just got here. / I know, it's force of habit. I don't / know what I'm doing here anyway. / - I'll check you later. / - Yeah, well, give me me lighter first. / Get away with it one day, eh? / Come. / - Beefy, where you go? / - I come with you, innit? / Brakes, man, deal with it. / Fucking hell. / - Fat Larry there? / - He upstairs. / All right. / Larry. / No, man, what / I want with a pressing? / Cho, blood claat, the one I Telex you! / Yes, right, man, right. / Tubby in Kingston, he'll / block up for sure, you know. / Yeah. Yeah, Jamaica 101. / Yes, all right. Love. / Cho, look at Fat Larry now. / Man must have hit upon rich / times to call up Kingston so. / Well, is up and down, you know. / So what happened? Long / time I don't see you. / - I'm here and there, you know. / - A tune you come for? / Just pass and check in, / see what going on, you know. / Frankie, play the tune / for the sound man, yeah. / What you deal with, Fat Larry? / Man, hear them tune a good / two year now. That '70s tune. / - What you deal with? / - What you talk about? / This tune exclusive, man. Import / man, straight from J to me. / Fat Larry, somebody / must have skanked you / because, I tell you, I hear / them tune a good two year now. / What you talk about? Is only / "pre" I deal with, you know. / - Pre-release, man. - So / what? When that release? / Pre-war? / Hey, Frankie... / Oh, blood claat! / - Beefy! / - Beefy, you little blood claat. / - Fucking idiots. / - Beefy! / Beefy. / This tune you check for this / final, well, it can't help you now. / Shaka gonna beat you, Beefy. Shaka rule. / - Yeah? / - Shaka rule. / - Sunday, we'll see who rule! Fuck off! / - What you say, Beefy? / Beefy, you're just big and soft. / Big and soft! / Anyway, take care, Beefy. / - Shaka rule! / - Just fuck off, right! / Right! / Bunch ofwanker. / Well now, sir, is a serious business / you dealing with now, you see. / This tune exclusive / to me, you understand? / Errol... / And this ganja here, exclusive to I. / Import, you know. Straight from Jamaica. / Cho, what happen, sound man? / This not back yard, you know. / Is a serious business, me I tell you! / Errol. / No man! Is where think you are? / Trenchtown? This is Brixton. / And it's 50 I want for / each ofthem tune! 50 each. / All right, all right. Hold on a minute. / I tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm / gonna do you a favour, sound man, / because I know you for a long time / and I want you to win this / competition Sunday with me tune. / That's a rude thing you / have on your neck, boy. / - What, this one here? / - Yes, man. / Lfyou throw that in with the others, you / can come and collect tune this evening. / You are a crook, I'll / tell you now, Fat Larry. / One big criminal. / - Brixton you call this? / - Brixton. Take it or leave it. / Dave, I want you for a minute. / Look, do this Blue Peugeot / for us, will you? Complete system. / What the fuck are you doing? / I'm cleaning my hands, / what does it look like? / I'm playing the piano? / But I've got a customer here, mush. / I'm having my lunch break, all right? / Look, come on, Dave, you / know what the system is. / Lfwe've got custom, we work / it. Take your breaks later. / And if Ronnie ain't here and the custom / keeps coming in, I'm lumbered, ain't I? / Stuck here till 6:00 without / a break for the same pay. / It's a terrific system that is. / Just do us a favour, just get / her off me back, all right? / You can take the rest of the / afternoon off as far as I'm concerned. / How come I've always got / to sort out your fuck-ups? / They've had their lunch, haven't they? / I'll be back in an hour. / I'm going down the caff. / If it's so important, Alan, / why don't you do it yourself? / You forgotten? / - Oi! / - What? / - You wanna know something? / - What? / - You got too much ofthis. / - Yeah? / Yeah. Especially for a coon. I don't like / monkeys who get too clever in my garage. / In other words, son, you're / fucking out. Do you understand? / Beefy. / I'm talking to you. / Man, you just ruined my concentration. / Ruined. / You satisfied now? / Is what you want anyway? / Well, right now, Beefy, it's a little / thing concerning the Tannoy, remember? / - Oh, that. / - Yes, that. / It have to replace because / since the other one get mash up, / we only have three box / to carry the treble song. / Cho, you know how much / Shaka have already, man. / Cho! Shaka this, Shaka that! / Shaka is just a nuisance, man. / Hold on, hold on, what happen? / Finished your exercise yet? / You have a benchpress to do / and the rest of the things, man. / Yeah, well, I'll have to do / that when I come back, you know. / Have a little business to attend to. / - What about this one? / - Shh! / We'll take this one. / We should have taken the one in the gym. / - We're gonna take this one, all right? / - No, man. / Come on, come on. / Give me the blood claat screwdriver. / See there. Tannoy number one. Come on. / Right. Then how about this? / If I'd been there, it / would never have happened, right? / How is it your fault, Ronnie, man? / He can shove his exhaust / up his bumbaclaat arse. / I'll be happy to do the service, right. / - Do you want some? / - No, I don't want it. / You can't take it! I don't believe it. / Hey, Spark. You not / finished that thing yet? / Fuck you. / You know Alan's been / a wanker for a long time. / What do you want? / - Just to watch you, man. / - Well, you're in me way, so fuck off. / Move your blood claat, man! / Silly blood claat. / - Have you got the record? / - Yeah, man. / Well, give it to me, / man. Let me play it. / The tune. / - Beefy there? / - Bring it, man. Let me see the thing. / - Give me the tune, man. / - You got the tune from? / Yeah, from Fat Larry, you know. / Let go the tune, man. / Cho, Fat Larry tune, man. / Yes, sir. / - Let go of the tune, man. / - So, what the tune like? / - Tune hard, man, hard like steel. / - Yeah? / Don't be a spoilsport. / Let's here the tune. / - Yeah, man! / - What he say? / Who this bumbaclaat boy telling / an Ital Lion man what to do? / This man's no Ital Lion man, you know. / Play the tune! / Tannoy ready. You can go now, all right? / Go on. / I show you something, Blue. / You see this cut here? Lfthis / cut get one scratch, Rasta, / not one life worth living, you hear me? / Loud and clear, sir! / We no gonna scratch it. / Shall I tear up the final? / So good, man. / Hey, Dread! Smile, man. You on TV. / - Just where the hell you get that? / - It's a video, man. / I never said "what", I said "where". / Same place as the Tannoy, Dread. / Same place as the / Tannoy? You mean school? / - Yeah, man, ofcourse. / - What else you thieve, Beefy? / Blackboard and chalk? You's one / foolish pussy claat idiot thief. / - What you want with this thing for, anyway? / - Film the people, innit? / Film the people! How you going to / do that? Where the rest ofthis thing? / - What do you mean, rest? - Metal / box thing. Look like a tape recorder. / Oh, that. We leave it behind, / man. The thing too heavy to carry. / - So then video bruk. / - Bruk? / Useless, Beefy. It's not going to work. / All right, Dread! Cho! Don't break / your heart, man. I'll sell it. / You do no such thing, / you hear me? Just get rid of it! / Oi! Turn that off! / I said turn offthe sound! / Boy. / Yeah? / Have you got any idea / how much noise you are making? / - Pardon? / - Don't you "pardon" me. / You know what I'm on about. / Well, the only noise I've heard, / lady, is you banging on the door. / I want it stopped, understand? / Every night it's like this. / There's people trying to get to bleeding / sleep and you carrying on in there. / Carrying on? No, you must be / mistaken. I'm in there on my tod. / There was music, very loud music, / ifyou call that racket music. / Well, why didn't you say / so? I've got a transistor in there. / That music is loud enough / to wake the bleeding dead! / Well, I can't understand that. It's only / got a tiny speaker, as small as that. / Tiny thing, it's only little. / I tell you what I'll do, I'll go in there, / 'cause I must be going deaf as well... / Don't you piss me about, my son, / because there'll be a lot of bother. / I know exactly what's going on. There / must be at least half a dozen ofthem. / They come jumping out of that van / over there, they come in here, / and they play their bloody / jungle music all night. / - You don't mean blacks, do you? / - Yeah, blacks. / The big ones with the / curly hair? Wogs? Yeah? / Sambos? WOMAN: Yeah. / Mango munchers? / - What about coons, boy? / Coons? / Oh, yeah, I might've known, I might've / known. Look at you, look at you. / Look at you. Good for / nothing, noisy, stinking filth. / Lazy. You're everywhere. Jungle bunnies. / This was a lovely area / before you came here, lovely. / And you, you should be / ashamed ofyourself, you should. / You know what you are, don't you? You're / a traitor to your kith and kin, a traitor. / You're no relation of mine, lady. / You fuck off back to your own / countries, you jungle bunnies. And you! / This is my fucking country, lady, / and it's never been fucking lovely! / It's always been a fucking tip / for as long as I can remember. / So don't fucking tell me, right! / Beefy, Beefy. / - Cool it, Beef. / - It's all right, Beef. / Save that steam for the gym, man. / Hello. Yes. Hold on. / - Blue. / - What? / It's your mum. / Mum. / She knows I don't like / her to phone me here. / No, I haven't forgotten about Carlton. / I'm coming home now. Yeah, true. / Yeah, all right. Yeah, okay. / What does she want? / I have to take Carlton to school again. / Oh, forget about Carlton. Let him wait. / - I want my hat. / - You ain't going to get it. / - I want my hat. / - No! / You got me into a whole / lot oftrouble yesterday. / - Good! / - Yeah? / You turned my record / player off, you know. / Put it back on! Put it back on! / Give me my hat. Give us it! / I'm gonna tell on you! / Give it back! / Missed! Missed! / You're not worth one. You think you can / live in that dirty the room upstairs, man. / Now go in the kitchen and bring / a broom and clean up this room. / And I want every piece ofthem sponge / back in them cushion, before I murder you. / Jesus Christ! Look at the / place. Like a farmyard. / So what happen to your job, man? How / come you still here this time of the day? / Nothing's happened to / my job, my job's cool. / Cool? / Lfyou must know, I leave the job. / You just threw away a good, good / job there and you don't even care. / Who said I don't care? Pray stop, man. / Listen, you do your thing, / and just allow me to do mine. / Your thing? Fucking kali weed / and sound system your thing? / Yeah, mine's herbs, man, and yours / is white rum and betting shops, man. / So what happened to / that, everything not cool? / No, sir, is two man inside / here and one that work / and one not work, you hear me? / And I don't want to subsidise you. / I don't / want to subsidise you. / Come here, you, come, come. / You skanking school again. / Leave him alone, man. / You see the fine example / you are setting him. / Why do you skank from school? / You must go offto school. / You too feisty. / You don't control him and / you don't control me, see. / So just leave him alone, right? / Watch it. When you earn as much as I / earn, then you can tell me what you want. / Until then, just keep your / pussyclaat mouth closed. / What's up, Blue? / - Why you not at work? / - Check the dole queue scene. / - Let me show you a shot, boy. / - Who you call "boy"? / - You the boy. / - Play the shot, then. Let me see it. / How come your face looking so / vexed and worried? Elaine pregnant? / - That's a call shot. Take it again. / - I'll show you a different one. / Hey, come here, I want / to show you something. / Come here. Hey, Blue, / come here, man. Hey! Beefy! / - Hey, Blue, come here and watch this. / - What the fuck is that, man? / Is that a dog? WEASEL: / Why doesn't he ride it? / He can just ride the thing. / Hey, Beefy, man, you've pulled a dog! / You're going to get killed, guy! / That thing gonna turn on you. / Turn on him! See that. / Beefy, where are you / going with that thing, man? / What the fuck is that? / Cho, Beefy, man, where / you got that thing, man? / Thing? Listen, this is / African Ridgeback, man. / I just lent him from my neighbour, / innit? Sit down, man, sit, sit. Sit. / You see? Plan is, man, we're / going to mash up Shaka and feast. / Man, this man is itection / against Shaka, you see. / See, Beef, the thing / looks starved, man, sure. / I think it's a poodle. / No, man, is a mutant, / the head's too small for the body. / Listen, this is a lion killer. / In Africa, they use them to kill lions. / What does it do, Beefy? Sit on / them and suffocate them, does it? / - A word with you, Errol. / - Yeah. / Look at that. / What is it? / 40. / - 50, man. / - It's not mint. / - Oh, come on. - Errol, it's got / scratches all over the top, son. / Have a look. / Top price, it needs to be in mint condition / otherwise it's just not worth my while. / Hold on. / I want you to look upon video camera, / all right? What do you think about that? / Errol, son, where did you get / that from, the blind school? / Oh, come on, Les, don't / be so fucking tight, man. / asking. 50 with the TV. / - What do you say? - You're / a fucking liberty-taker. / - I want it delivered, all right? / - Yeah. / One, two, three, four, five. / There you go. Oh, and, uh... / A pound for some sweets / I want it delivered, mind. / - Yeah, yeah, yeah. / - All right. / Anyway, listen now, / I talked to him about the video and / thing, right, and he just gave me this 5. / - 5? No, man, not right. - Listen, / Beefy, don't start that, blood claat. / Listen, take the 5 and be grateful now, / man. You lucky you get anything at all. / Look, listen, right, how am / I gonna buy weed with that / and how am I gonna buy an / engagement present as well, you know? / Oh, blood claat! Engagement present? / Tell me something, how long do you think / Loverboy and this Sandra / going to stay together? / Yeah, well, that's all you know, innit, / because he's going to buy a suit now. / You waste your money. / - What you doing it for? / - Hey, check that. / A walking flag of Ethiopia. / The man must have red, gold and / green underpants, the rahtid. / Jah! Star! / Eli! Peace to the I, / Rastafari. One love! / Really nice... / So what happen now? You / can't give me a lift? / No, man, not with the / dog. You have to walk, man. / - Later, man. / - Later. / - Walk with the dog, boy. / - Blood claat. / Hey, come on out. / - I no go, man. Get out. / What you mean, you / not come? Come on, man. / No, man, I'm not going, right? You think / marriage is all lovey-dovey and cuddly. / It's aggro. Me no go. / How can you not turn up to / your own engagement party? / Look, keep your mouth / down, man. She don't... / - Listen, my mum don't know, right? / - What? / All right, I'll put / it another way, right? / Listen, say God came along and he's / created all these different people, / all different colours, right, / red, brown, black, yellow, white... / Hey, wait a minute! White / is not a colour, you know. / All right, smart arse, / pink, right? Say he's pink. / He's not gonna say, "Well, the red people, / I'm gonna give them choppers that size / "and brown people's that size, but black / people, I'll give them one that size. " / - Why not? / - Because he's not, is he? / - He don't think like that, does he? / - That's where you're wrong, man. / You ever see a China girl with big tits? / See, is the same thing, / man, the same thing. / - He's right. / - Beefy's right. / Lfyou're sure, right, / Ronnie, when we get there, / - put it up on the table and measure it. / - We'll need a magnifying glass. / When you've quite finished, / where are you getting off? / Yes, pal, we're going, we're going, / we're going. Where are we going? / Tell him where we're going. / - I don't know, man. / - What are you talking about? / No, man, stop joking, man. Where is it? / - No, man, Sandra's supposed to... / - See this here... Wait. / See! / Where we getting / off? Where we getting off? / Hey, Beefy... / - St David's Hall. / - We've passed it. / - By the Odeon. / - Come on. / That's a pound. Five 20s is a pound. / - Leave it out, guv'nor. / - Come on, give us a pound. / Sandra, what time did / you tell this guy to come? / It's bloody well 10:30 now. / The guy hasn't turned up yet. / - I'm sorry I'm late. / - Forget about it, forget about it. / - Come up there with me. / - Hello. / Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. / Would you gather round, please? / Please hurry up. Thank you. / Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to / disturb yourdancing and yourenjoyment / but the reason for calling you here / this evening is to ask you to participate / in the engagement of my / beautiful daughter, Sandra, / to Norvil Washington. / A very fine boy. / And therefore, I would / like you to raise your glass / in a toast to both these lovely people. / A toast to Sandra and Norvil. Thank you. / Loverboy! / Speech! / I would also like to / lookforward to that day in March / when this lovely couple / walk down the aisle. / He'll be late! / Norvil has asked me to / apologise for his late arrival. / He put the blame on the / busses. Anyhow, he's here. / I would also like to take the / opportunity to thank Robert Nicholls / for allowing us to use this lovely hall. / Now, ladies and gentlemen, / there's plenty to eat and drink. / Plenty of white rum, plenty of / Carlsberg, plenty of mutton and rice. / I thank you. / Look at that! / Hey, Beefy. / Beefy, man! / Hey. / Look at him! / Just shut up! / You see them there? / Shut your fucking row / up, you black bastards! / I'll blow your fucking legs off! Slags! / - Come on, get the message. / - Fucking spades! / - Beefy! / - You coming, are you? Come on. / I'll kill you now, you spade. Come on. / Who do you think you are? / Get up this way. I'll have you. / Hold him! / - Come on, I want him! / Stop it! Stop it! / Bastard! Fucking jungle bunnies! / - Beefy! / Get out of the fucking / country. We don't want you here. / Drop it, Beefy, drop it. / Beefy, cool it, man. / Cool it, no one was / hurt. Forget it, right? / That man called me a black bastard. / Fucking hell, man, how many / times you been called that? / - Fucking ignorant people! / - I do know they're ignorant people! / Fucking pig ignorant. / - Beefy, do you want to start a war? / - Yes, man! / Do you want a race war? / Beefy! Listen, Beefy. / Beefy, ifyou go up there and fight that guy, / there's all the other flats to deal with. / Cool it! Cool it! / Beefy! Beefy! Beefy, / look! I guarantee you... / Damn it! They don't think twice / about throwing us out of the garage. / Beefy, man... Ifthey throw us / out, man, the sound is finished. / Where do we keep the sound, / Beef? Why don't you think? / - In! / Beefy! / Oi! / Get around the other side! / He's going around. He's getting away! / All right! We got him! / Right! / Give him a dig. / Get your legs down, you little bastard! / What you run offfor, then, eh? What / you run offfor, you little robber? / - I didn't fucking know who you were. / - Get it right, son. We stopped you. / And you done a runner. / You fucking liars. / Hello, MP, from Charlie Foxtrot 3. Over. / We don't like mouthy bastards. / Suspect detained, we're / taking him to Yankee Romeo. / Come on, golly, you're coming with us. / - I ain't done nothing! / - You must be joking. / At 5:00 in the morning? / You're a dirty, little slag, / like the rest ofyour black mob. / Get in. / So how much is / the bail? ESTHER: It's 200. / If him don't turn up in the court, you / have to pay the money, you know that? / So what you want, Wesley, what you want? / You want the boy to stay in jail / until the case come up / in three months' time? / So how come you so sure / him would turn up in court? / Because he's my son and / he wouldn't let me down. / - Him not let you down? / - This is doing my... / He's let you down already, / Esther, him go out and thief. / He's not a thief, Wesley. / He told me they frame him up. / And if he says, I believe him, right? / Look, Wesley, you should / know the police, you know. / The police, them do this / and the police, them do that. / I don't believe it, / Esther, I don't believe it! / You don't even / believe your own eyes. / You see the bruises on the boy face? / Thieves and / skankers, all ofthem! / Look after it, right? / God, Wesley, can't you / talk about anything else but money? / I go to work, too, you / know. I save that money. / So don't you interfere in / my affairs. You hear me? / How come you think you was able to save / if I never go out and work and / come back and bring money inside? / Not even that fridge... / Come on, man, see that? / Come on. / Oh, right here. / Give me that rass claat thing. / Come on. / What? Give me the thing, man. / I don't see why we have to / put up these posters, you know. / It's the promoter's / job, this. A promoterjob. / Yeah, but who's the / promoter's best friend? / - Shaka. / - Right. / And where all the posters / in this area going to go? / Shaka area. / Right. So how's our fellows / going to know about it? / Hey, you're right, you know? / Yeah, we'll have to fix that Shaka, no? / Come, man. We'll put one over there. / Oh, come on, Beefy! / You know the first / time I had one ofthese? / - It was a... / A spliff? / That Wembley concert back in / '68, '69. Desmond Dekker and the Aces. / My Boy Lollipop. Who was / that? My Boy Lollipop? / It was Millie Small. / Marcia and Graham? / Not Marcia and / Graham, Bob and Marcia. / Bob and Marcia. / Yeah, you was a skin, man. A baldhead. / A crombie. / White shoes, braces, and / hair that was non-existent. / - We didn't get in though, did we? / - You know why? / - Errol didn't turn up with the tickets. / - With the tickets. / But that party was good. You know / that party you took me to after instead. / - Angelo? / - Yeah, the guy with the gold teeth. / The one with clubs, diamonds and / spades on. I gave him a cigarette / - and he mashed it up. / - I remember. / Yeah, how was I to know / he was building a spliff? / I thought he was just / being anti-social. / It was a nice spliff. / You know how to make them. / So where you going tonight, Elaine's? / - Yeah, I reckon so. / - Yeah, well, I think I might pull tonight. / I think Errol's got a few / chicks lined up for me. / So what, I'll check you later, shall I? / Yeah. / Too much French kissing, eh? / Hey. / Where are you? / - Hey, Blue. / - William. / How's it going, son? / Tribulations, you know, up and down. / That's all you think / about, ain't it? Sex. / - Is that a spliff, that? / - And your herbs. / And reggae music. / This is the guy that's / been molesting my sister. / You know Rupie, don't you, Blue? / Hi, Rup. So where you going? / Where we going? / Just a cruise, you know. / - Can I cruise with you? / - Yeah, the man can come. / How's it going? / Well, I haven't won anything yet. / - Just won something. / - You're lucky. / Been here for hours. / If you want business, / it'll cost you 20 quid. / All right. / You got anywhere to go? / - Yeah, I got a place just / around the corner. - All right. / - You come up West a lot, do you? / - Not very often. / I thought I hadn't seen / you in that place before. / You sure this is okay? / - Yeah, don't worry. / Through the alley and just / around the corner and we're there. / Hey, you, just give me / some blood claat money. / Yo, fool, why don't / you ask some old blood? / Hey, man, what? Come on, / don't worry about him. / They love it, it's how / they get their kicks. / Hey, man, we can't leave him just like that. / Look, do you want the police to come and get us? / Listen, man, cho, call an / ambulance. Just let them know... / Listen, man. / You never tell me about / any ofthem things, man. / What? About what? / - Mugging and that kind ofthing. / - Is that what you're on about? / Look, how do you think all these / politicians, all these police, / these blokes driving around in fast / cars, how do you think they gets so high? / They've got to step on someone's feet. / Survival. Money's money, innit, mate? / Cho. Look, just come take your fucking / things out of my car, all right? / All right. ELAINE: / Thanks a lot. It was nice. / I'll come and / check on you again, yeah? / Where you fucking been? / Blue, you frightened me. / Do you know how long I've / been waiting out here? / - So where've you been, Elaine? / - Been out. / It's 6:00 in the morning. / Thanks for the time check. / - So who's that you're off with now? / - Oh, don't talk rubbish. / I went up a soul club / with Deidre and Beverly. / Neither Deidre nor Beverly drive. / Look, what am I supposed / to do on a Saturday night? / Sit by the phone hoping you'll ring? / Who was he? The one in the Interceptor. / - Who was he? / - Look, right, / it was Deidre's brother and / he goes out with Beverly. / Anyway, it's got nothing to do with you. / What do you mean, it's / got nothing to do with me? / Do you know how long I've been / waiting outside your house? / I don't care how long you've / been waiting outside my house. / - You don't care! / - No! / Listen, right. Look, when I decide / to go out on a Saturday night / and you're not around, / what am I supposed to do? / Sometimes I could hit you. / Look, Blue, look, just leave me / alone, all right? Just go away! / Jah! CROWD: Jah! / Almighty and most powerful god. / Clap your hands, all ye people. / Shout unto Jah with the voice of triumph. / For the Lord most high is terrible. / He's a great king over all the earth. / He shall serve you. / And the nations at our feet. / He shall choose our inheritance for us. / The excellency of Jacob / and the Lord Rastafari. / Jah is gonna bless you. / Lord with the soul of a trumpet. / Sing praises to Jah, sing praises. / Sing praises to Rastafari, sing praises. / 'Cause he is a great / king over all the earth. / Sing his praises with understanding. / - Jah! / Rastafari! / Most high and terrible god. / Lord of lords, / king of kings, / conquering lion of the tribe of Judah. / He lift up himself. / Most high god, light / ofthis world, Rastafari. / Most powerful and terrible god. / Dear beloved, peace be unto the I. / Welcome to this gathering / of the most high, Jah Rastafari. / Rastafari. / But the I look as if all the troubles / of this world be upon him shoulders. / Come here, draw this / chalice and let these herbs / for the healing of the nation, / heal your troubled mind. / To the east, Africa. / To the west, Jamaica, first Babylon. / To the north, England, second Babylon. / Babylonian triangle of captivity. / Man travel down many / roads, in many directions, / all ofthem roads that man take, / all ofthem journeys that man make, / is brought deceptions and vanities. / Vanities and vanities that make man / can't step forward out of Babylon, / first leaving behind him the dirty / filthiness of this dirty, corrupted / and wicked Babylonian society / and step forward to / Zion, forward to Africa, / the first point of this / triangle, forward to I and I, / Jah Rastafari, most high and mighty god. / Dread? / Errol? / - What errors! / - Look how the man spell "rule. " / All right, come on, Shaka / gonna kill your blood claat. / Come on, guy. Me cold enough. / - All right, man. / - Come on. / Hey, come on, Beefy, man. / - We have to catch some fun, you know. / - Shut up, man. / Come on. / Hey, Beefy, come on, man. / What a blood claat you are. / - What errors! / - Come on, man. / Lion! / Hey, Beefy, you ought to see / a tailor about that coat, man. / - Shut your fucking face. / - Where you get that coat from? / Come on. Come on, man. / - I hear that Shaka have a new tune. / - Which new tune? / Everything is fucked, man! / Fuck me. / Shut the rass claat door now. / So what are you looking at me for? / Well, it's not me that's done it. / It's your kind, man. / Your fucking kind! / Beefy, why don't you / hush up your blood claat? / - You don't know nothing! / - No! / I know that if him never stop / me from mash up them blood claat / on the balcony, this would never happen. / They're the same kind, man. / Your kind. Your fucking kind. / My kind, Beefy? My kind? / It's me that sprayed all the walls, is it? / And mashed up the speakers, yeah? / Cho, man, I'm a National Front guy? / Them are dealing in pure wickedness, man. / Don't talk fucking black, white man. / I don't want to hear no / arguments here. I don't want no violence. / Nobody be making a schism, you hear? / Tonight is still I night. Errol. / - Cool down, Beef, man. / - Sure. / - Record box is in the van? / - Yeah, man. / Fat Larry special there? / Yeah, man. / So sound and I look good. / Come, come, man. Come, / Beef, man. Come, man. / Look after yourself, Ronnie, you hear? / The I better make sure / the I reach on time. / I'll see you later. / A calm and heavenly frame. / # A calm / # And heavenly frame # / A light to shine upon the road. / # A light to shine / # Upon the road# / That leads me to the lamb. / # That leads me / # To the lamb # / Lord bless me now and bless / us if thou can be so please. / I pray for our complete deliverance. / I pray that you will / use me as an instrument. / Lord, I am depending upon you / while we say thanks in Jesus' name. / At a time like this, / my heart is overflow with joy / knowing that once I was a sinner, / was going down the road of sedition. / Had no intention about this man, Jesus. / And one night I come to the conviction / and tonight I am rejoicing in / this free and full salvation. / And I could say, as / brother Paul tonight, / I am happy to be a Christian / and I am rejoicing in this / free and full salvation. / And now, Lord, I pray that / you will bless every heart. / What a pussy claat. What's / so important it couldn't wait? / Right now, when I go home, it's just / pure aggravation from my wife, you know? / You playing tonight? / - No, why? / - I might want to borrow your sound system. / What do you mean, borrow my sound / system? What happen to yours? / - Is two you want? / - My sound system get mash up last night. / Get mash up? You know, this / call for some negotiations. / Blood claat! What do / you mean, negotiation? / You're worse than a pussy / claat. Just give me the key, man. / Listen, man, watch them / language, man. Have some respect. / Right now, just drop them in / the letter box when you finished. / And listen now, / don't you come for no more / favours after this, you hear, son? / Hey! Oi! / Open this bumbaclaat door. / Oi! I know you're in there! / Bumbaclaat. / What are you after, jungle bunny? / An hiding, eh? / Is that what you want? Eh? / # Jah / # Does you know? / # Light ofthis world, I and I, Rastafari / # I shall lead I and / I tothe promised land / # Jah / # Babylon, Babylon, Babylon / # Say / # Rastafari! / # Four thousand years I've gone / through exploitation, victimisation / # I and I come to chant / no Babylon oppression / # And set the captives free / # Jah / # King of kings and lord of lords / # Conquering Lion of the / tribe of Judah-ah-ah# / Who's this brother here? / He must be a new boy. / Blood claat, never seen / him round this area. / - You know what them say about him? / - No man, what them say about him? / They say he likes to / mash up people things. / - Why he do that? / - Because he's a fucking hooligan. / Blood claat problems, you / hang around with Beefy. / No fight ing, man. / Where's your buddy? Don't / nobody want, man, Rasta. / Get together, Rasta! / Hey! I love... Cho! / Quiet! I wantto getthis song over. / Lover boy, you gonna have / to control this song tonight. / - Me? / - Yes, man, you. You do it. / Go on. / Right, folks, now Ital Lion. / First of Zion, jungle lion. / Good to see you. / Tothe inspiration of his Imperial Majesty, / Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. / Jah! Rastafari! / # Go into Lion! Lion! / # I get a call coming down the hall / # I had just had a few in the hall / # I get a call coming down the hall / # I had just had a few in the hall / # When I was a youth / I used to go to school / # Teacher just tried to make me a fool / # Lord I said them / never ever teach me history / # All the things that / were so unnecessary / # Can't take no more of t hat # / Oi, what do you want? / We all at peace now. / All right, all right. / Who's in charge here? / Don't I look like I'm in charge? / - Right. Nor do I know a blood claat... / - Are you in charge? / # Lion! Lion! Lion! Lion! Lion! Lion! # / Listen to me, sunshine... / Stop the music? Send / the people out? No, man. / The guy want to send the / people outside! I stop him. / Police outside. Saying everyone gonna... / Stand firm! / Hey, no! No! Them fooled us long enough. / They won't fool us again, / stand firm in the hall. / # Lion! Lion! Lion! Lion! / # We can't take no more of that / # Lion now say, now say We / can't take no more of that / # Lion say we can't take no more of that / # It's 400 years And it's / the same kind of living / # Brutality, hypocrisy, same immorality / # We can't take no more of that... # / # Say, say, say, say Lion! Lion! / # We say Lion! Lion! We say Lion! Lion! / # Because we know you / can't fool the youth no more / # Jah teach the youth the / right and true and true way / # Then you say every man shall pay / according to the rules of Babylon / # We can't take no more / of that What we say? / # Can't take no more of that / # Can't take no more / of that Say, say, say, say / # We can't take no more / of that No more of that / # We can't take no more of that /

See also

• Sound system (Jamaican)
• Sound clash
• Toasting (Jamaican music)
• Rockers (1978 film)
• Lovers Rock (2020 film)
• List of hood films
• Bloodclaat
• Reggae film
• Caribbean music in the United Kingdom