The Mark of Cain
A searing drama featuring two squaddies involved in abusing prisoners in Iraq and how they are forced to take the blame on their return home.
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Gerard Kearns (Shameless) plays an 18-year-old squaddie struggling with the reality of war in Iraq. It is a stunning, sympathetic and heartbreaking performance, a clear indication of the agonies that war can inflict on the mind as well as the body.
Interview with actor Gerard Kearns
By Benjie Goodhart
This drama is pretty far removed from the Chatsworth Estate. Was that a conscious decision by you?
Not at all. I'm not in a position to do that, I don't feel. It wasn't a case of 'Right, now I've done Shameless I've got to run away as far as possible'. It was more like 'This thing called The Mark of Cain looks really good, I'd like to do that!'
It's a great script for The Mark of Cain. Is it based on real events?
No, it's entirely fiction, but Tony [Marchant, the writer] did a lot of research into the army and the way it works. He interviewed loads of soldiers I think.
Did you talk to any soldiers when you were preparing for the role?
We had soldiers on set with us, so we talked to them. I also went and saw the psychiatrist to get a better understanding of the psychological effects of war and that sort of thing. I spent a good few hours with him. That was really good, really useful in helping me understand my character. And we had these three military advisors and two armourers, so we talked to them. And JJ, the main army guy, drilled us about everything. If your gun wasn't right, if you were lazy, if you're not working as a team … he drilled us about everything.
Was it a good experience making the film?
Yeah it was, and a real learning curve at the same time. It was filmed in Tunisia, the Iraq bits. We were out there for about three weeks. The locals were all really great, very cheerful and welcoming. The whole atmosphere was great, it really added to the buzz making the film.
