Review of Gummo (1997) by Oscar M — 29 Nov 2009

Harmony Korine's "Gummo" is not an easy film to sit through, for a number of varying reasons, all of them valid. Some of them are intentional, as the film covers some incredibly disturbing content, while others are more or less flaws involving acting or logic. In the end though, "Gummo" is more about the way the movie makes you feel than anything, and it's one of the most memorable and effective films I've ever seen.

I've heard some pretty polarized reactions to this film, ranging from those who believe it to be a vile, disturbing, and cruel film, to the crowd of those who think it's a forgotten masterpiece, and some kind of profound statement on the underbelly of America. Both camps are right in a way: "Gummo" is a disgusting experience, and it isn't exactly pleasant. It has a sticky, unsavory feeling to it; after watching it, most will feel like they need a shower, and some time to reflect on the film before forming any kind of opinion beyond, "Wow, that was out there." It certainly has an amateurish feel to it, like it's a crazy student film that escaped and found it's way into mainstream video stores. This might have to do with Korine's inexperience behind the camera (he was 23 years old and it was his directorial debut, although he had achieved fame 2 years earlier with his equally controversial screenplay for the 90s cult classic "Kids," another disturbing and challenging film). But such feelings and impressions are intended. Korine is challenging the viewer to accept this movie, and the actions, implications, performances, and moral questions that go with it. It's not a pointless stream of disgusting moments, as some have proclaimed. By the end of the movie, it's clear that Korine has said something with this film, and that it is important and relevant to those who have listened.

Growing up in the South, I've met lots of people like the ones in this movie. People who have lived in impoverished neighborhoods; feral kids without adult supervision with dirty mouths and warped values; casual racism being discussed without shame in public. Many of those who hate "Gummo" really just hate the subjects of the movie. Nobody wants to meet people like this in life, right? Why would we want to see this kinda stuff in a movie? Well, because it happens, and it needs to be addressed. And Korine is indeed smart enough to let his visuals and subjects speak for themselves, and whether what we're watching is real or not (most of the "realism" of this movie is indeed stylized and staged), it certainly makes an emotional impression.

For me, personally, the film is inconsistent, and some of the scenes are too much for me to handle. A sequence involving a brother letting the two main teenage characters have sex with his mentally disabled sister is really the part that gets to me, and not because of anything shown or implied sexually, but because Korine shows a conversation between the girl, heavily made up to look whore-ish but still childlike in her nature, and the ratty little boy who the movie follows. It's a heartbreaking moment focusing on two people whose lives are full of torment and hatred, abuse and laziness, neglect and poverty. Some feel Korine crosses a line with his use of the disabled; I found him to be honest and fair to everyone in the movie, even those whose mentality and actions offend us (such as the oldest of the teenage boys, who has a "marvelous persona" and could be "pure evil.") And on a pure visceral level, Korine has a few great scenes in him. His use of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" is one of the greatest moments of melding pop music into ironic situations I've seen in a film, and his cameo as a drunk guy trying to make out with a black midget is pretty hilarious. And then, there's the dirty bath scene, which even Werner Herzog was impressed with, which plays on such a high shock-value level that it has become the iconic image of the movie, even more so than the skinny boy dressed like a bunny. "Gummo" is a challenging movie, and it's not for everyone, but those who get it will certainly be rewarded. Just be mindful that this is pretty disturbing stuff.