Review of Gummo (1997) by Alex K — 31 Jan 2010
As an experimental film, one can expect conventions to be broken and new grounds to be tested, and one can also suspect that not everything will be a success. The schizophrenic cutting of multiple formats of video Korine employs is one of these hit and miss experiments, as is the predominant use of non-actors; it imbues in the film a sense of reality and magic while being fucking infuriating when performances turn stale or overplayed and no one knows whether to look at the camera or not.
People will try to tell you Gummo is a meaninglessly depressing film, but those people missed the whimsicality of Bunny Boy's rabbit ears and Dot's carefree kissing; they didn't bother to ruminate on the power and pleasure exploding from the barrels of Tummler and Solomon's BB guns as they murder cats.
People will try to tell you Gummo isn't about anything, but quite simply, it's about the conflicting nature of the quest for joy and meaning in life and the destruction and depression that works cyclically with it.
This review of Gummo (1997) was written by Alex K on 31 Jan 2010.
Gummo has generally received mixed reviews.
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