Scum (1979) (Film Review)

Scum (1979) A British realism classic crime drama. Okay! Let’s be clear: I didn’t love this film. It’s as shocking and realistic as ever, but unfortunately you have to see it at least once. Unless you’re a sensitive soul, of course.

Ahhh… youth! A film that sticks to the skin and has lost none of its topicality. The 70s feel may be disconcerting, but the captivating direction makes up for it. Also known as SCUM in France, Switzerland and Germany. I suppose it’s the same name everywhere, really. Unless the Quebecers have translated it as “Voyou”.

Ray Winstone is an English television, stage and film actor whose career now spans five decades. He has worked with many top directors, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Winstone is perhaps best known for his gangster roles (he’s met some himself!) and his tough-guy persona. He has appeared in quite a few films, including British indie films like this one. He was a surprising choice to play a villain in the superhero film Black Widow opposite Scarlett Johansson.

Winstone has spoken of how, as a child, he used to play with his friends at bomb sites (wastelands with the rubble of bombs from the Second World War). His influences include Albert Finney (seen in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning), John Wayne, James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson.

In short! Scum is a hard-hitting film in which all the actors are convincing. It’s the opposite of a Feel Good Movie. It leaves you feeling relatively depressed. You shouldn’t watch this film if you’re already depressed, unless seeing lives that are far worse than your own is what helps you feel better and get through it! And the ending is rather brutal, quite horrible, even unfinished. I wondered: why is it that films like The Green Mile, Cuckoo’s Nest, The Shawshank and others are still easier to watch, despite their cruelty? Is it the actors? The directors? No, for me it’s just a question of hope. And here, there is none. The message is clear. This film is suffocatingly unfair and almost makes you want to spend a week in bed after throwing up.

My Rating