Kids
(Uncut)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D Film: B-
When
Larry Clark’s Kids was released in
1995, it could barely get released. It
was even distributed by a new company called Excalibur that eventually did not
amount to much. However, this is what it
took to issue the film that was going to get an NC-17 no matter what. With Gus Van Sant on as a producer, the film
was off and running. It did not do badly
under the circumstances, but it had a very mixed critical reception. Some were impressed, while others hated
it. Clark went on to direct the remarkable
film Bully in 2001, a film that
topped this one, but does that mean this was a good or bad film?
The
Harmony Korine-penned screenplay is a day in the life affair of teenagers who
are very streetwise, sexually active, and happy to try any drug around. Unlike the 1960s, this comes with rough gang
behavior and casual attitudes that can only inviter disaster. Some critics were actually shocked by this,
but those who were might be a bit naïve.
If
anything, Eric Edwards’ camerawork makes this look like an ABC After-School Special form the 1970s gone horribly wrong. The whole film plays out just like that, but
unlike the ABC TV series, which would be limited to no more than one hour; this
goes on for 90 minutes. It cannot avoid
run-on, and if Clark and company were intending to take their point all the
way, they still went overboard. This is
not because the material is so shocking, but it becomes tired and boring when
all is said and done. An R-rated cut
would not have made any difference.
The only
difference between this film and that TV series is that 1) more children live
below the poverty level than ever in the United States, 2) drugs are more accessible
than ever, 3) AIDS, 4) Hip Hop, and 5) latter Rock music. The automatic tendency is to blame this on
the Reagan era, but the problems are more profound than that, and this film
manages to skip addressing all of them!
A fine
film still could have been made without going in that direction, but staying on
the path it does, Kids becomes a
spoof of itself, and as Hip Hop and Eminem have become more popular since its
release, the film even seems dated. Bully will not have that problem, and
in what it is trying to do, it is no match for David Gordon Green’s George Washington or Scott Smith’s Rollercoaster (reviewed n this site),
both exceptionally remarkable films from 2000.
They deal with the problems of their kids, all while showing them, which
gives both more depth and durability in the long run.
The
letterboxed image is above average at best, with color slightly fringing
throughout. This is likely a LaserDisc
recycling, but is an old analog transfer either way. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has some Pro
Logic surrounds, but lacks fullness and bass throughout. This is especially noticed with the use of
music, especially off the bat in the opening credits. There are also absolutely no extras.
Clark has gone on to do four films as
of this writing, but none have stirred up the debate this one did. Van Sant now has Elephant, which looks like it is repeating the style of Kids, but applying it to the Columbine
Massacre. It should make for an
interesting comparison.
- Nicholas Sheffo
