Rudiments weaves footage of army cadets at a military camp on the outskirts of Liverpool with that of a Bouffon (Hannah Ringham) – a dark clown. The result is a dynamic tension between strict military codes and an absurd vulgarity. The film ruminates on the presence of authority in the formative moments of childhood and early youth, and is propelled by an improvised score devised for the drums by the American musician Kid Millions.