How we made the brutal Yorkshire crime classic Red Riding, better than The Godfather

The screenwriter Tony Grisoni was approached in 2006 to adapt a series of novels by David Peace. He was immediately drawn to the first book, titled 1974, finding it powerful but also disturbing due to its intense depiction of anger and injustice. The stories are based on real events, particularly the cases of Peter Sutcliffe and Stefan Kiszko, but are presented in a heightened, fictionalised style, which the author himself described as fiction drawn from the facts.

Grisoni felt intimidated by the experimental nature of the novels but was determined to adapt them, knowing it would take several years. The books cover a decade and feature a large number of characters, so Grisoni had to condense the narrative significantly for the screen adaptation. The producer suggested using a different director and format for each film, which allowed each part to have its own unique style and influences.

For the film 1974, Grisoni frequently thought of the classic movie Chinatown. The visual style of Red Riding was very much of the 1970s, with a smoky, brown colour palette. The actors were very committed to the project. David Morrissey conducted thorough research for his role, and Sean Harris was known for his method acting approach. Although the story is heavily focused on male characters, the creators also wanted strong female roles, which were filled by Maxine Peake and Rebecca Hall. Grisoni chose to keep the most extreme violence off-screen, believing that the violence the audience imagines is often more disturbing than what is shown.

The scenes depicting police interrogations, where suspects are tortured, are intentionally terrifying. The show reflects the harsh realities of the world, similar to the real-life cases that inspired it. For instance, Stefan Kiszko, whose character inspired a role in the show, was wrongly imprisoned for 16 years and died shortly after his release in 1992. He was a man with the mental capacity of a 12-year-old who simply longed for his mother. Grisoni noted that during the time he was writing, news headlines were frequently filled with stories of severe crimes and missing persons.

Grisoni was advised that Peter Sutcliffe was known for taking legal action, so he made sure to only use what Sutcliffe had actually said during his police interviews. He felt it would have been impossible to invent such material anyway. Red Riding has often been compared to the works of James Ellroy and labelled as 'Yorkshire noir'. While Grisoni agreed with the description of dark storytelling, David Peace preferred the term 'Yorkshire dark'. Grisoni added a sense of redemption at the end of the story, feeling it was necessary to save at least one character and conclude on a note of love.

Although the films 1974, 1980, and 1983 were made, the planned fourth part, 1977, could not be produced due to budget limitations. This was a great disappointment as it was always intended to be a quartet. Grisoni still hopes that the missing fourth part might eventually be made. The films were released in cinemas in the US, shown back-to-back, which was an intense experience, but they gained a dedicated cult following. Critic David Thomson even described the series as being better than The Godfather, and Nic Pizzolatto stated it influenced his work on True Detective. People continue to discover the series, often expressing surprise at how amiable the creators seem given the dark subject matter.

Actor Mark Addy was sent the scripts for Red Riding, with a warning that there was no significant budget. He was immediately impressed and, after reading halfway through the first episode, asked his agent who else was involved. Upon hearing names like Sean Bean, David Morrissey, Paddy Considine, Peter Mullan, and Maxine Peake, he insisted his name be added to the list. He described the scripts as so exceptionally well-written that it was an obvious decision to join the project.

The production operated with extremely limited resources. Actors were paid the basic union rate, and there were no private dressing rooms or even a communal green room. Despite the lack of luxuries, it was an incredible experience to work with such a talented cast who were fully dedicated to a project that offered little financial reward. Addy mentioned that the actors were essentially working for just enough to buy a pair of shoes.

David Peace's novels delve deeply into the characters' minds and are filled with intricate details. These books were a crucial resource for Addy in developing his character, the washed-up solicitor John Piggott. In one scene, the audience experiences Piggott's flashback of finding his father's body through his eyes. A camera rig was attached to Addy, allowing viewers to see the event from Piggott's perspective. Despite being a character who struggles with drug use and heavy drinking, Piggott emerges as an unlikely hero who stands up to the corrupt West Yorkshire police force and achieves partial success.

Piggott is portrayed as a dishevelled and somewhat foolish individual who often sleeps in his suit. At one point, he is shown eating a raw frozen convenience food item. Nevertheless, he manages to rescue a female character at the end, carrying her out of a mineshaft in a heroic manner reminiscent of an action movie star. Filming scenes in the underground lair of a paedophile was a harrowing experience. Addy described a room containing a dentist's chair, mattresses on the floor, and a child's shoe, which brought home the horrific reality of the crimes committed by the perpetrators. He noted the necessity of showering immediately after such scenes.

Addy grew up in York during the 1970s and clearly remembers the atmosphere during the time of the Yorkshire Ripper. He recalled cycling home late at night in complete darkness, feeling the palpable tension on the streets and hurrying home. The elusiveness of Peter Sutcliffe and the police's struggle to catch him were keenly felt by everyone. Addy humorously noted that the series is hardly a promotional tool for Yorkshire, as the set decorations often included items like a burnt-out car or an overturned shopping trolley, prompting locals to jokingly ask if a floral arrangement could be added instead.

Addy considers Red Riding an extraordinary accomplishment, especially given the use of three different directors and formats. He found it hard to fault the series. The show had a significant impact on his career. Ridley Scott was beginning work on his film Robin Hood with Russell Crowe. The casting director for Robin Hood gave Scott a Red Riding DVD, as it featured many British actors. Scott watched it over a weekend and, by Monday morning, had decided to acquire the US rights and cast Addy as Friar Tuck. Addy jokingly suggested that Scott must have seen him eat the frozen pancake and thought he was the right actor for the role.