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"It's hard to really absorb anything like you could in the past" - Chloe Sevigny, 1997
In a recent article on psychogeography and skateboarding, Iain Borden describes how, for skateboarders, the city's wider flows and spaces - cultural, economic, social - are subordinate to the planes and surfaces on and off which they skate. It is tempting to think that Larry Clark, in his avid and unblinking documenting of youth - NYC skateboarders in Kids, jaded suburban mallrats in Bully (based on real events, and taken largely from the cash-in book of the same name by Jim Schutze) - sees his characters in much the same way. Planes, colours, textures, curves, taut, lean, worked bodies (one brief up-the-skirt crotch shot of Ali in the beauty parlour betrays her bikini line stubble), rather than wider social beings.
In fact, what Clark teases out is how the youth he bares is doing just that itself; living in the present, for the present, lead by feeling, instinct, outside consequence, living in extended social and spatial repetition, where the distances (bridgeable by car) mean that people "don't need the artificial distance of irony" (as Chris Petit noted in his film on Manny Farber, Negative Space), and consequently, self-awareness, rather than self-absorption. Pleasure, not pressure. At times, Clark reels himself back only just from the brink of parody, the witlessness, self-obsession, denial, guilt and guileless confession of his young mob, reaching its dim peak in the disgusted line "Nature sucks!"
The story of a bully, and a group of friends who decide to murder him to end his grip over them, Bully went through no rehearsals, and features generally excellent and (both emotionally and physically) naked performances from its leads. Brad Renfro is the put-upon Marty, Rachel Milner his Lady Macbeth-like, bruised girlfriend, Bijou Phillips is the "adventurous" Ali, who is raped by Bobby, the bully of the title, played by the slight and sinister Nick Stahl. It was shot in 23 days in the Floridian suburb where the original murder took place in 1993, using many of the same locations. Bully, which has predictably caused a to-do in the US, but received a standing ovation at Venice, ultimately lacks what Herzog (and Korine) might call "poetic truth" - it just doesn't quite fit - not because it's genre-defying, not because it is partly a docudrama, but rather because it can feel a little like tainting-by-numbers. The matter-of-factness of Clark's bathetically apocalyptic vision of strip mall vacuities, and collective will as a sum of individually vacillating and ill-informed wills, belies a quasi-decadent feel: the film seems too neatly dialectical, but seeks simultaneously to undermine that neatness (but does not, unfortunately, succeed).
At the confluence of middle-class suburban morality, (M)TV, Eminem (and the perceived violence and misogyny of gangsta rap), and media-channelled constitutions of growing sexuality (elective affinities with remote control), their expressions of physicality, living through the body (surfing, sex, clothing, drugs, violence), leave Clark's youths in vast horizontal, indistinguishable, disconnected places, without aim, technically discerning, but only vaguely aware of the difference between warm and cold flesh, action and consequence. Parents seem uncomprehending, powerless and unaware, Clark's cold light bathing them in non-confrontational by-standing and ignorance. Clark's own take on childhood is that kids can get their hands on pretty much any information they want now, in contrast with his own childhood, when he wasn't told anything about anything. The isolation and tedium of suburban life, with sound and image information privately pervasive, imitation rather than discovery (even Ali's apparently "experimental" sexual behaviour mimics bad, Body of Evidence-style film sex), lead only to a paralysis of choice.
While this is an intriguing and rather beautiful addition to Clark's body of work, as ever a must-see, it seems nowhere near as committed or filmic as Kids. One hopes that his next film, Ken Park, scripted, like Kids, by Harmony Korine, recaptures the poetic wit and fire with which the earlier film shone.
Reviewed by Sameer Padania
Reader comments about Bully
Justin (Email address withheld) writes:
well, the beginning kind of turned me on. does that make me sick? and the murder kinda grossed me out. does that make me sane?
elise (Email address withheld) writes:
best movie I saw for a long time, weird reaction of the audience in france, there was a debate after the movie and everybody in France think that american teenagers are all like in the movie. The actors are all great, congratulation Larry
cate (Email address withheld) writes:
yeeesh. i have a really bad taste in my brain. that was rough watching. but good. i mean, it sure affected me. yeck. well done larry.
jawa_71@hotmail.com (jawa_71@hotmail.com) writes:
Seems as though I seen these long held shots on crotch regions in kids. Nothing ground breaking hear. Just the abc mondaynight movie with no holds barred. I think its just paving the way for more copycats. Once the those mindless director realize there is a market for this shock. Story was bla. So typical of any t.v. trash. But it it true to what horrors are out there. the real shit. Don't think it should get to much credit though, take away thos intense camara shots on the private parts, the ambigus kiddy shots, and the intense violence. and your left with a shity american t.v. movie. There was one like this with the girl from life goes on(jessa). See it, but there will be far worse in the future. Recrewting snuff eficinadoes. I give it a trash award. Evil pure evil. No substance. Truth, yes. But do we really need to see what a suicide really looks like(not in the movie).
jason (Email address withheld) writes:
Dissapointing film. There were only a few convincing performances, notably from Bijou Philips and the drug-addled kid, whatever the name of the actor is. But the rest of the acting just plain sucked. Flimsy, thin, wooden performances. Terrible.
And the plot was flimsy. It provides no motivation for the killing. Yes, I know part of the point was that these kids are brainless and amoral, but still, still, the film would at least have to provide even a small glimmer of motivation other than the fact that he's a bully. Why wouldn't they just ignore him, shut him out? He wasn't THAT all-pervasive and powerful that they had to do away with him. Stupid, base, ridiculous plot.
I think KIDS is one of the great, raw, unique films of our time and am thus disappointed with Mr. Clark. Of course his photagraphic skills means that there are some dreamlike shots and scenes that make the Florida suburbs seem gorgeous, and believe me, they're really not. But I don't understand how anyone can like a film with bad acting and a stupid contrived plot, unless they are starved for good film. It seems to discredit the international community that this film was well-recieved. It makes me doubt the taste of even the French and wonder what they saw in this film. Maybe they just don't expect much from we Americans. But what a sad attempt to reproduce the tone and effect of KIDS without even a hint of the quality of the writing and complexity, not to mention the raw, charismatic, undeniably natural performances of KIDS. The performances in BULLY look strained, uncomfortable, awkward.
This movie was a piece of shit. Although I hope better things from Mr Clark when he reunites with Harmony for his next film.
Jeremy Velvet (jeremyvelvet@hotmail.com) writes:
Another affecting, bleak and blatantly sensational view of modern American teenagerdom. As always with Clark this teeters between sharp observation and pretty repulsive exploitation - there's the inescapable sense that they're all enjoying being shocking so much that they've forgotten the points they're trying to make. In a way this movie takes all the easy options - the provocative camerawork, amoral stance, "controversial" issues all say more about the filmmaker and his actors, and their desire to be at the "cutting" edge, than the actual issues at stake in the story. A pretty unpleasant and curiously empty way to spend two hours.
And by the way, what the hell does this review mean? This is one hell of a confused sentence man:
"The matter-of-factness of Clark's bathetically apocalyptic vision of strip mall vacuities, and collective will as a sum of individually vacillating and ill-informed wills, belies a quasi-decadent feel: the film seems too neatly dialectical, but seeks simultaneously to undermine that neatness (but does not, unfortunately, succeed)."
Cut down on that adjective-heavy diet man! You're going to start bleeding academic textbooks from your nose! We want to know what the film is like, for goodness sake, not how many issues of Cahiers du Cinema you've read!
Shaunna (spark_sixty_nine@hotmail.com) writes:
the first film i had ever seen by you, larry. was Kids, I saw it last year for the first time and ever since i have watched about 50 times more.. This movie is awesome, because its reality. Im the same age as Telly, Casper, and jenny in the movie,My life is so similiar to theres.. its almost as if this film is about me and my friends! All of my friends are in love with your movie as well, and wanna be just like telly, or casper.. in some ways. But anyways, just last week when i went to the video store to rent out kids another time, it was out but they had told me they had bully in, another movie of yours, and of course i got it, because u direct the most influencing films.. Bully was awesome, once again its another reality. the actors and actresses kind of touch me in ways, because they are just like me, and they have the same feelings and problems as i do.Im looking forward to seeing many other films of yours, they inspire me.. to change. in the past week i have watched bully about 11 times.. It gets better everytime! It might sound like i am a little obsessed, maybe?? the only part i really didn't like in the whole movie, was how Marty was Executed in the electric chair, but hey.. its just reality right?? I also like your films because they piss my parents off, and they make all parents worry.. "Oh what if MY kids were like that?"..Anyways, thats about it.. Your an amazing director.. Shaunna!
Wayne Roten (jtroten@aol.com) writes:
The "murder scene" was without question, the most horrifying sequence I have ever seen in a movie. I couldn't get it out of my head for days. And in a sense, it really "Messed me up for a while." The movie iteself really draws the reviewer into the cast's little world and I found myself being caught up in their world. When Bobby is murdered, despite the fact, he was a low life scumbag, you can't help but feel empathy for him. No one deserves to die like that. I actually felt like I was there witnessing the tragic event and it left me stunned for days.
scott (scottyboy99@hotmail.com) writes:
Nick Stahl is the best young actor in Hollywood. He will have a long and very substantial career.
Kerry again (kezarony@aol.com) writes:
Oi you JASON.
Do you need your brain checked. The film did not suck. It was based on a true story asshole and the performances were great.
There was a very convincing motavation for the killing.
Picture this you "Friend" had been bullying you for your entire life, he makes you pretend to be gay and have phonesex.
He forces you to get up on stage in front of everyone and dance.
He treats you like a dick head and walks around like he can do whatever he wants and he rapes your girlfriends friend.
The performances were great, so stop dissin Larry and Fuck Off.
xxx
Kerry once again. (kezaroony@aol.com) writes:
LARRY, I thought I would write to you again, because I wanted to say how amazing I think your films are. Bully was an outstanding film. If left me feeling shocked for days. I was really obsessed with it, I still am.
The cast were brilliant, they couldn't have been better.
In my face magasine you were saying that you knew that Leo Fitzpatric was the right person to plat Telly, coz every time he messed up or fell off his skatboard he would pick it up and trow it on the floor.
I took drama for my GCSE in shcool, I have this dream of becoming an actress, so if I do maybe I can be in one of your movies.
Don't worry I know that it is very very very very unlickely.
Bye for now.
Kerry.
Damo (Email address withheld) writes:
Couldn't disagree more with Jason's comments, I thought the lack of a specific motivation for the group as a whole was realistic considering how drugged up they all were. I thought the movie had an eerie sense of realism to it, sure the nudity wasn't required, but the movie gave the watcher the feeling of being under the influence most of the time.
I also thought the documentary style of the movie and the acting made it so realistic and added to the sick feeling that you got when watching it. My girlfriend wasn't impressed I must say but then in my opinion at least it was better than slick moralised hollywood movies about young people going either a) from rags to riches or b) falling in love with unlikely people. Those movies make me sicker than this one
Kathryn (Email address withheld) writes:
Seriously good film.
Shines a bright light on an often untold area. Hopefully films and films like this one will encourage victims to tell their side of the story more.
Sophie (Email address withheld) writes:
So gritty and real! Exceptional performances by all actors, and wow...Larry Clark!
Agree with Kathryn, does shine a light on an untold area, because I think people don't really want to know what goes on in society today with young people.
Using your work to base my final year dissertation on, so hoping for any information off you personally....bonus!
Zeppelin (Email address withheld) writes:
To Jason: Your comment "And the plot was flimsy. It provides no motivation for the killing." It was a true story, therefore the plot really happened. Life is not all CSI, Disney, Steven Spielberg happy ending bullshit, these kids really murdered that guy. Yes it was fucked up what they did, they didnt need to brutally kill someone for simply bullying them, but that is life. You get your Donald Trumps, your Dahmers and every one else in between. Im not going to insult you for your opinion, but i think before you call someone work shithouse you should do some research and realise that not every one in life is the same, some people are fucked up, some people do crazy shit, but they probably look at you and say you are fucked up, u do crazy shit for just standing passivly by doing nothing. To quote the film "He's just high - he's no more or less normal then you or I" Great film Larry, I was shocked, horrified and amazed by your portrayal. My only problem was the Nudity, not all of it, i think most of it was needed, however at times i think it just distracted or turned off many people to the brilliance of the film.
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