Film: The Firm (1989)

For this blog I have chosen to focus on the film The Firm, but more importantly it's portrayal of the immoral and bad behaviour that the film highlights fully: football hooliganism.

Basically, the film focuses on a group of men in the 1980s whom all have good middle class lives, jobs and even the nuclear family. They are living the "Thatcher dream" but are not happy. So in order to express their unhappiness, they group together and become football hooligans, violent football hooligans.

However, there is one moment of the film, right at the end, that could be viewed as being in favour of this form of bad behaviour. In the final moments one of the members of the groups toasts and says, "if they stop us at football, we'll just go to boxing or snooker."(source: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/439285) The reason I say this could be viewed in favour is because it is implying that it isn't football that causes the violence, it's the people and they'd end up causing violence with or without football. Football just gave them an excuse and being a "social realist" film, I fully believe this point can and is translated into reality.

Film: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

One film that is famous for its portrayal of "bad" behaviour is Kurbrick's now cult classic: "A Clockwork Orange".

In 1972 Kurbrick self censored and banned his film from being viewed in the UK after suffering pressure from the media and politicians. After they blamed his film for the rise in crime within the UK during the 1970's.

As this article fully explains, http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0012.html , Kurbrick banned the film in the UK for rest of his life time after reports of "copy cat" crimes. Tramps being beaten to death and rapes of young girls to the soundtrack of "Singing in the Rain" were reported.

However, the press only emphasised the extreme cases. Besides murder and rape A Clockwork Orange also deals with the less extreme yet still immoral behaviour of drug taking, speeding, driving under the influence and vandalism. Things that I believe viewers of the film were more likely to "copy cat", yet the press never covered them as these are things that did and still happen almost everyday.

Now, eleven years after Kurbricks death you can pick up a DVD copy of A Clockwork Orange for £3 and myself, only having being legally able to watch this film for two years, have already viewed it twice and own a copy. In fact, it is one of my favourite films, but although I possess no urge to mimic any of the behaviour this doesn't mean everyone will feel the same way... does it?

Personally, I believe placing such a heavy ban on the film only upped the film in appeal. I've heard stories of how people travelled far and wide just to watch it. It was dangerous and that was exciting. Some people like to rebel, fact. By banning the film the actions and behaviour shown were made appealing.

Ok, so it isn't like the main character's, Alex, bad behaviour, extreme or otherwise, is not punished. Audiences watch Alex find himself in prison and also enduring aversion therapy. The film does express that these actions do have consequences. Just because these do not work on Alex does not mean that Kurbrick is implying it is ok for audiences do these things. I think it was more about the idea that Alex is a "bad egg", to put it lightly, and the mature and intended audiences I think get that.

Overall, I feel the only reason this film was banned was because of it's extreme behaviour, if people really felt like the film should have been banned for it's easily mimicked behaviour there would have been more coverage given to the immoral issues than just the extremes. But more importantly a lot of modern films e.g. Trainspotting, would have never made it past the cutting room floor. In a way A Clockwork Orange did immoral and "bad" behaviour a favour, as it made them look harmless in comparison to the extremes that they are placed against. Although it is quite obvious that the "bad" behaviour was the beginning of the extremes it appears this was over looked due to the shock of the extremes and is why, in many cases, it is still over looked today.

Film: Kids (1995)

‘ Truly, what people have said about Kids (1995) is more disturbing than anything put on the screen.’

Watching this film as part of my University course was actually my second viewing and the above statement for me was one of the best and probably most truthful statements about this film that I have ever read.

Before the film began my friends were a buzz, recalling for me all the "horrors" they had heard about this film. I couldn't believe how sucked in and genuinely scared they were about watching it, but after doing some research now, I can see why.

Most of what you read about the film "Kids", I believe, is there to disturb you and turn you off watching the film before you've even come into contact with it. I mean I generally find the Internet Movie Database (imdb) a reliable source when discussing movies, but even their "key words" about the film give off the same vibes as the rest of the articles and reviews.

e.g Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113540/keywords

I mean that put "Teen", "Drugs", "Virgin", "Sex" and "Disturbing" in the top ten of that list.

I find it all a little extreme and overly exaggerated personally. There are reasons for all of these and more to be included in the film, it's not just a film made to disturb you for life and nothing more, if you're looking for that why not try the Saw films?... but I'm getting off track. I'll come back to this later.

I told my friends that yes the film was shocking and rather explicit with the way it deals with the issues and "bad behaviour". However, I reassured them that they'd still be able to sleep that night and hearing there comments on their way out of the cinema... I wasn't wrong.

In fact for every "disturbing" moment in Kids I believe I could suggest a valid reason for its inclusion in the film and also an argument why an audience of various ages could benefit from a viewing of it.

What makes the film so "shocking" is the way that it explicitly shows "bad behaviour" that may be better described as taboo issues. But isn't that the problem here? The issues explored are only shocking to viewers because they are taboo within society and therefore unheard of in everyday life thus making them mysterious, "the unknown" and to some individuals even appealing. My point is, I believe this film should not be banned or classed as "bad", "disgusting" or "inappropriate" but actually an educational viewing for both teenagers and parents.

I see the film as a way for teenagers to experience such "bad behaviour" with the inclusion of consequences in a way that leaves them out of danger. "Kids" takes much of the glamour away from such immoral behaviour which should prevent many teenagers from practicing themselves.

Also adults watching the film would benefit as it will make them more aware of the type of world their children are or can be exposed too. They'll be more awar of what could and does go on and perhaps have a better understanding of their own teenagers needs, wants and also troubles and concerns.

Overall, I agree that "Kids" is not a film to be watched for entertainment purposes alone but is a film that could be a benefit to many viewers if watched in an educational context.