StunnaKrypto
Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.
Blucher
One of the worst movies I've ever seen
Sexyloutak
Absolutely the worst movie.
Rio Hayward
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Rozzi1
The inspiration for the Canadian film "Dog Pound", it was made in 1977 as a television drama but was promptly banned due to its content – two years later director Alan Clarke re-made the film for cinema. In my opinion the cinema film "Scum" (1979) is far superior to the 1977 original. The vast majority of the cast are the same, and except for several scenes, the reduction of several sub-plots (such as the character Rhodes, who appears in the 1979 version but is never named), and for the opening sequence, the story and characters are otherwise the same.The story follows the journey of three inmates in a Borstal (a young offenders prison). Carlin, the principal character, has been transferred from another Borstal for allegedly assaulting an officer. Davis has been transferred from a more relaxed Borstal for attempting to escape, and Angel has arrived fresh from being on remand at Wormwood Scrubs (a prison in West London).The borstal is controlled by a harsh, unyielding discipline meted out by the unrelenting cruelty of the officers – who randomly beat and brutalise the young inmates – and by the viciousness and savagery of the inmate 'Daddy' cliques who run the underbelly of each cell-block.With his reputation of being a rebel against authority and a fighter preceding him, Carlin is singled out and soon has no option but to fight the 'daddies' and use his cunning to outwit the officers intent on victimising him. When Carlin emerges as the new 'Daddy' of his cell-block, the bullying suffered by Davis and the racial attacks suffered by Angel subside. As their journeys continue, alongside the journeys of several other inmates picked-up as the story progresses (such as Archer, Toyne, Meekin), the narrative focuses on the conflict between the individual and the system; how the identities of the inmates become eroded – how some adapt in order to survive the system and how others capitulate. "Scum" is an extremely violent and disturbing film which displays a no-holds barred sense of brutality and realism. Climaxing with a full-scale riot as the inmates explode and rise up against the oppression of the regime, the final question posed is whether or not the system can be beaten.
BA_Harrison
Had the Borstal system not been abolished in 1982, Alan Clarke's controversial drama Scum could have been used as a potent form of crime deterrence, the film's gritty, documentary-like approach being so harrowing that any potentially delinquent viewers would surely think twice about flouting the law for fear of finding themselves banged up in a concrete hellhole with a bunch of sociopathic thugs. If shown as part of the school curriculum, teenage crime figures would surely have dropped quicker than Davis's pants in the film's notorious greenhouse rape scene.Being buggered while potting plants is just one of the many dangers that face the young inmates of Scum's tough correctional facility. Even hard-nut Carlin (Ray Winstone) feels the pain, receiving a thorough beating from both his fellow cons AND the screws, before eventually establishing himself as 'the daddy'—the top dog amongst the prisoners—by cracking a few select skulls (his methods including the classic 'snooker balls in the sock' trick). Tensions run high when one of the inmates commits suicide after the death of his wife, but when Davis (Julian Firth), seriously depressed after his assault, slashes his wrists during the night, anger and resentment boil over, resulting in rioting.Chock full of strong language, extreme brutality, and unflinching scenes of racism, suicide and rape, Scum is still extremely shocking stuff, even by today's standards, but is far from exploitative: director Clarke simply tells it like it is, showing us the harsh reality of life behind the walls of the UK's borstals, where every day is a lesson in survival. His film benefits greatly from memorable performances from the excellent cast, both young and old, and a genuine atmosphere of hopelessness. Don't expect an uplifting ending: this ain't no Shawshank Redemption.
tomosp1965
I regard this film as the truest and best depiction of life in a British borstal, or indeed prison, of any film ever made about being incarcerated. Most films in this genre over dramatize, or trade the reality of prison life, for a pseudo/stereotypical version. By doing this they pander to peoples idea of what its like and lose the reality.Ray Winstone shows why he became a sought after actor, giving a poignant and honest portrayal of the lead character 'Carlin'. Credit also goes to Phil Daniels who plays 'Striper', (a prison term form slashing someone across the face with a razor). He acts with a menacing grin and believable viciousness.The cast as a whole are excellent, the script is true to life and seems as though it was written by a prisoner, plus the set actually looks like a borstal.This is one of my top 20 films, though it isn't for the faint hearted.10 out of 10
zardoz-13
"Scum" reminded me in some ways of the tough Sidney Lumet World War II prison thriller "The Hill" with Sean Connery. This toxic view of a contemporary British boy's reformatory is as unpleasant as it is engrossing. Ray Winstone plays the new kid on the block who enters the prison and eventually finds himself forced to rise to the top of the prison population as a so-called "daddy." When the guards and governor aren't shouting at the adolescents to "double-quick march," the strong inmates are preying on the weak. The guards are relentless sadistic. Some of the characters are standard types for this kind of expose melodrama. The inmates shake each other down for money and our protagonist finds himself beaten up by the inmate big wigs. The administration follows and tries to take advantage of our hero's battered looks to punish him. Director Alan Clarke and scenarist Ray Minton don't pull any punches. Although it was released in 1979, "Scum" does contain some potentially offensive scenes, such as a rape in a green house when two inmates assault another. The administration is a merciless bunch of stuff-shirt dastards who have a free hand to inflict as much punishment on the boys as they see fit. The abrupt ending is disheartening. The performances are riveting and the environment looks authentic. Approach with caution.