Review of Punk: Attitude (2005) by Merrill G — 24 Jan 2010

The main point about this film is that it's Punk - ATTITUDE. It's not about mentioning all the bands, or following all the trends that spin off of it, but of focusing on that ATTITUDE that was at the core of why it took off, and showing where that spark was 'before' and 'after' the main media-drawing period of punk fashion, and how that spirit, spark, attitude, whatever, is NOT just defined by those kind of boundaries, or what 'looks' punk, or 'sounds' punk, etc., etc.

It couldn't possibly include all examples of that kind of spirit, either before, or since, and it certainly wasn't supposed to make sure it listed all the bands that have at any time acquired the punk 'tag', especially the very formulaic and conformist ones who are not really so in touch with the punk ATTITUDE this film is talking about.

It could have gone further, and deeper, and listed more examples, and shown lots that DOES have that attitude since and in the present, and gone even further back into the past. Maybe that would have got the point through to more people. But it's shown well enough here to those paying attention, and very clear to those who got it all along and still do - it's about clearing away the bullshit layers and wrenching yourself free of the 'follow me' forces of the loud crowds and their obvious expression around you, and touching the raw core of your individual self inside and your unique context and feelings, expressing it openly and without bullshit or genteelity, and giving it a chance to connect somewhere.

That's why even John Cassavetes or free jazz or Henry Miller or something was punk, or plenty else. And, yes, it could have brought in some of the rarer and freer and more interesting stuff that came later in both US and European Hardcore, and also the rare examples of such lack of rigidity in the Anarcho movement, but, well, on the whole these movements WERE too regimented and conformist, and those examples WERE relatively rare.

But, yeah, could have fairly looked at some of the freer examples of that stuff, but the attitude WAS clearly focused on, getting in all examples is not the point, especially seeing as they're endless. 'Punk' can be a fashion or a conformist boredom that excludes the punk attitude, but 'punk attitude' can thrive without any of the trappings of punk fashion, sound, image, whatever, just as it always has done, somewhere or other, though rare, probably as long as there have been human beings. This film fell into all sorts of probably unavoidable traps, and certainly is limited in some ways, but all the same, punk attitude is what came over, and that's what it was about.