Review of Scum (1979) by Tony P — 21 Oct 2016

Doing for British Borstals what The Magdalene Sisters did for Irish Laundries, Scum is an often brutal, often shocking but always revelatory examination of life inside a prison for young offenders. We see bullying, beatings, psychological abuse, neglect and ridiculous abuses of power.

The authority figures are intimidating and go out of their way to demean the inmates and remind them of how significant they are to them. While Ray Winston may be the Marquee star, it's Mick Ford's Archer that really steals the show, unleashing his countless methods of non-violent protest to undermine the system that means to belittle and diminish him at every opportunity.

Everything in his performance, from his looks, his mannerisms, his smart, well-thought out but also angst-filled indictments of the penal system, he's the undeniable human centre of this film, and it would be nothing without him.

There's some truly stomach-clenching moments in the movie, some of which will leave you speechless, but they are all justified in the context of the narrative, and all contribute something to the story and the characters.

The near-total absence of music serves to empathises the isolation and bleakness, and the narrow rooms and corridors give it a tight, claustrophobic feel. It's an incredible film, an extraordinary experience, and one not to be missed, though certainly not one for the weak of heart.