We were asked in the lecture if we think this film was shocking. Well…yes. I must say though I wasn’t as shocked as maybe I should have been. When the film first came out I think it would have been a lot more shocking to audiences than it is now. This is mainly because excessive drug taking, sex etc are quite common in films featuring teenagers. I suppose the thing that shocked me the most was the age range of characters – or how old they were depicted anyway. Watching the four male children smoking drugs was unconformable watching for me. I guess this is because I have a younger sister and I couldn’t imagine kids her age behaving in this manner. I don’t agree with this kind of behaviour even in films because those kids were not over the age of consent (he said they al were but just depicted as not) and they were still doing it.
I obviously didn’t like the main character because he treated girls like crap and he had AIDS! It was an important message though. I just find it crazy that these girls didn’t know that if a guy asks you to sleep with him on the first date he obviously doesn’t care about you. I guess that was a message. The girl diagnosed with Aids went on a journey in the film that I think the audience could relate to because of the sympathy we feel for her. All her mates were sleeping around and yet she does it once and she gets aids.
It was a thought provoking film but it would have been nice to see a better ending with maybe her telling Telle about the aids. It seemed to build up and then just stop. It didn’t really go anywhere. It was more like a documentary because there was no plot with beginning middle end. It was just following people around.
I obviously didn’t like the main character because he treated girls like crap and he had AIDS! It was an important message though. I just find it crazy that these girls didn’t know that if a guy asks you to sleep with him on the first date he obviously doesn’t care about you. I guess that was a message. The girl diagnosed with Aids went on a journey in the film that I think the audience could relate to because of the sympathy we feel for her. All her mates were sleeping around and yet she does it once and she gets aids.
It was a thought provoking film but it would have been nice to see a better ending with maybe her telling Telle about the aids. It seemed to build up and then just stop. It didn’t really go anywhere. It was more like a documentary because there was no plot with beginning middle end. It was just following people around.
Heres a link that gives you some info on the film - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113540/
2 comments:
viran you make me laugh ! Your sooooooo serious about these kinds of things ! lol .. keep it up ! :D :P
I agree the film was a bit like a fly on the wall type documentary which I think made it feel realistic. Like you I found this film shocking but I can’t say I was surprised by any of the content. This film was set in the USA 12 years ago, but it could just as well have been here in the UK today; having spent the last 4 years working in some of the most deprived areas of a city in the West Midlands, I know this behaviour goes on.
I think I found the scene where the man was beaten up most disturbing. The level of violence involved was distressing and the way the bystanders stood laughing and appeared to be enjoying it and encouraging the perpetrators was sickening.
I think the opening scene where Telly was telling the young girl how much he cared about her so that he could have sex with her was quite upsetting – she only looked about 13 – and I desperately wanted Jennie to ‘save’ the 14 year old (whose name I can’t remember) at the end of the film but sadly there was never going to be a happy ending to this film.
I grew up on a council estate in the 1960s/70s. When I was 16/17 (many years ago) I used to go to parties and misbehave sometimes. I knew people who took drugs but I never got involved and was certainly never offered any – I would have been too scared of my dad finding out anyway. I know STDs were around back then but to be honest the worst fear was of getting pregnant. There is so much more to be worried about nowadays. As the mother of 17 year old and 12 year old daughters I like to think I know what they’re up to but I’m not with them 24/7 and I can’t help but worry.
Best wishes,
Joanne
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