Review of Scum (1977) by Amanda R — 27 Dec 2011
Scum was produced in 1979 and shocked audiences with its damming portrayal of life 'behind bars' for juvenile offenders incarcerated in establishments commonly known as Borstals. Youths being held in such establishments faced a daily torrent of abuse from both inmates and the people employed to watch over them and held little chance of being effectively rehabilitated.
The system was corrupt from the top down, with both governors and staff committing gross acts of violence and negligence against the juveniles that they were employed to watch over. These acts were both physical and psychological in nature and included incidents such as aggressive assaults and racist comments.
Inmates struggled amongst themselves for power within the system, resulting in the stronger amongst them residing 'at the top' of the hierarchy. Scum portrayed this system with appalling realism.
This review of Scum (1977) was written by Amanda R on 27 Dec 2011.
Scum has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
