Disgustingly Realistic


I knew what to expect from this film: an undecisive thought-provoker that basically got it's kicks (and Bafta win) from *beep* drama and violence. What's wrong with British cinema now though? We just seem to be heading back down that Kitchen Sink drama route, yet with more swearing, sex and violence. There was a post on another thread about sympathy for the characters: I felt SYMPATHETIC for the guy in the library, yet never felt EMPATHETIC for any one of those scum which enrolled themselves in the murder.

As heartrendering as Amma Asante tried portraying those characters, it just didn't rub off on me. I could feel nothing BUT hatred towards all 4 friends and their ignorant, tw**ish standards. I'm not buying the whole character background thing either, we didn't see enough for the audience to constitute the characters worthy of our pity.

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totally agree, it's a vile, pointless film, devoid of any cinematic merit or style, even it's "message" it was trying so hard to make-itself seem worthwile with, is contrived nonsense that we've all heard a million times before...

I know where this world is, I'm well aware of the scum of society, I don't need to see it as "entertainment" - cause that's what film's are supposed to be...

they would have done better spending the money on a serious documentary.

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That you describe these kids as the "scum of society" reveals you as a rather arrogant bigot. I dont think this picture was aimed at you to be honest - things are a little less black and white in the real world.

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Okay then, who do you think it was aimed at exactly??, You don't think "scum" is an accurate description of the "people" portrayed, okay then... how about Murderers who deserve everything there gonna get - that more accurate...

Trust me, I know all about the "real world" - that phrase "The real world" is so subjective anyway, WE ALL live in the real world, and I think everyone, no matter how old, where they live, what they do... should try to be the best they can and at least be civil/respectful to the people around them...

All this "things aren't black&white nonsense" is far-too readily touted about in this day and age as an excuse for the worst kind of attitude and behaviour to grow and flourish.

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I am guessing Mr "I know all about the real world" Williams has never lived in an area like the one portrayed in this movie. Environment has a huge impact on peoples views/attitudes etc... as does upbringing or lack of upbringing as in this case.

If you are the educated man you seem to try to portray yourself as you would know that you can not judge a man unless you have walked in his shoes and can see the world from his eyes.

Of course these people are responsible for their actions, but to call them scum just highlights your lack of understanding of their real world.

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murdering, racist, scum... there's nothing else to say... no defence... nothing

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People aren't born like that are they? What happens for them to act like this?

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the old question of nature or nurture... i'm guessing you just watched this? isn't your answer obvious?

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"Nulla iniuria est, quae in volentem fiat"

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I've just watched this piece of racist propaganda.
We are supposed to feel ashamed that we white English people are all amoral; foul-mouthed; moronic; racist; idle; scrounging; illiterate trash, whilst the immigrant is a noble; hard-working; skilled (note the 'CORGI' accreditation on the van); credit to any society that he deems worthy of migrating to.
No doubt this party political broadcast on behalf of the 'celebrate the multicultural utopia society' was funded by us taxpayers, and also, no doubt, the brainchild of some trendy, ethnic minority writer.
This country really is in self-Flagellatory decline.

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unfortunatly it portrays my south wales town well. I'm sorry you think that it's a piece of racist propaganda, but unfortunatly it shows what my town has become in its true light.

This country has been in a downward spiral for years, kids get these ideals and racism from their parents it's one generation being influence by the one before. It's a continual spiral that will never end.

www.burnedparadise.co.uk
coconuts

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kids get these ideals and racism from their parents it's one generation being influence by the one before


Unfortunately, I think that is true. Growing up in England in the fifties (I live in America now), my parents were very nervous around black people or anyone else who was foreign. My father used various derogatory terms for these people. Mercifully, I did not inherit these views, but at least two of my siblings (still living in England) will not live on a street that is not completely white. In fact, my father and my brothers' worst fear was that I would eventually marry a black man.

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"we white English people"

What a prat, perhaps if you spent less time looking at the world through your red and white tinted BNP glasses you'd have noticed the film was set in Wales.

Having grown up on a Scottish council estate I can testify that the scum portrayed in the film were all too depressingly realistic, in fact I'd go as far as to say their behaviour up until the murder was relatively mild in comparison to reality, the only propaganda being spouted here is by 'rmills411' who's clearly never lived amongst such people either in 'England' or its provinces (apparently Wales and Scotland).

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I accept that I should have said 'British'.
Apart from that, the rest of your comments are not worth a response.

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just because they arent your views, doesn't mean they arent worth a penny.

www.burnedparadise.co.uk
coconuts

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by - WhatMayProtectMe on Fri Dec 15 2006 09:46:27
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just because they arent your views, doesn't mean they arent worth a penny.


This board is meant to be used for making comments about the movie, - not throwing personal insults, - the post in question is, to use your description, definitely not worth a penny.
For what it's worth, I will try to clarify what I posted earlier.
I wasn't trying to imply that there aren't a geat number of people like those portrayed in the film, - I just feel that there is an agenda to only portray one group in britain as racist, worthless scum, when the reality is far different.

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[deleted]

I'm not sure whether you're saying that I 'support racism', or that I have accused someone else of doing so. Neither is the case.
My point, is that publicly-funded film makers in the UK appear to me to be trying to give the impression that violent racist attacks are the exclusive domain of the white trash of our society, and that non-whites are invariably victims.
The reality is that, per capita, non-white people are more likely to perpretrate racist attacks, and TV licence and lottery money should not be used to promote a particular political agenda.

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[deleted]

Curtwwefan on Sat Dec 16 2006 07:46:12
"Not only do I disagree but I find that a very ignorant comment you just made, how can you say non-white people are more likely to perpretrate racist attacks?"

You are entitled to disagree, - but if you cared to check official statistics before commenting, you'd see that, unpalatable as the truth is to some, my comments were entirely accurate.

"I do think there is a difference how white black and asian thugs act but saying one group is more likely to do such a thing I find rather dull."


I couldn't agree more, - which was entirely the reason that I tried to redress the balance, given that I've seen little evidence that those in the media have any desire to show that black and asian thugs behave in exactly the same way as white ones.

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[deleted]

"Actually I have seen the so called satistics many times and satistics are not even always right, and in this case it is no different."

But the stats are 'official', and I assume, if you have read them, that you will agree that it was unfair to regard my reference to them as 'ignorant'?

"You know I read that whites were the majority of victims of attack yet in South London it for some reason a hell of a lot of black people have been victims, I am talking about black on black crime too."

I agree, I think.


"You said non-white people commit more racist attacks. "

Yes, - per capita.
...and the sole purpose for my original comment about the film in question, is that, like the vast majority of similarly-funded british productions, this fact is kept well hidden, whilst white racism is all too often shown.

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[deleted]

"People aren't born like that are they? What happens for them to act like this?"

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"the old question of nature or nurture... i'm guessing you just watched this? isn't your answer obvious?"


I don't believe it is obvious, i'm merely interested in what others feel. i don't think it seperates into nature or nurture, its different than that.

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"I am a little confused are you still insisting that non-whites commit more racist attacks? If that is the case then I still think you are making an ignorant statement."

Official reports state that a higher percentage of non-whites perpetrate racist attacks than whites, - I'd be happy to copy & paste them, but I don't think that a movie message board is the place to get so technical.
The figures may or may not be accurate, but they are official, in that they are on the government's own statistics website..


"You know one thing does come to my mind regarding you're comments, in Eastenders and a lot of other tv soaps you get the odd white guy that hates his daughter dating a black person, now I have never seen the reverse ever I think when that sure as hell does happen. "

This is exactly the point that I was trying to make, and the BBC are, to my mind, the worst offenders of imlying that it's only white people that think and act in a racist way.

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[deleted]

I think this film is just one more portrayal of what used to be known as the 'working-class' as degenerate unthinking scum.

Comedy is the normal medium for such things...and the sketches are often very funny and accurate.Yeh but, no but.

The problem is that averyone knows that Muslims and other ethnic minorities in the UK are not ,too put it mildly,(7/7 anyone?) all goody two shoes.

There are serious social probelms in the UK but a filmaker should be able to show us a more complex reality. This movie was bleak in every way. The visuals were monotonous.

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> I don't need to see it as "entertainment" - cause that's what film's are supposed to be...

Uhh... NO. Some films are meant to entertain, some to delight. Films can also be intended to educate. I guess it's up to you what sort've glasses you decide to look at a film through...

> murdering, racist, scum... there's nothing else to say... no defence... nothing

Their actions were indefensible. It doesn't mean to say a person can't recognise what/where in society might have contributed to their *forming* those personality traits. At the same time, it wouldn't make their actions any less repugnant of course.

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this film paints an all to real picture of racial attitudes in british society.I'm from a Glasgow council estate an the attitudes of the central charcters towards their asian neighbours might well be the people i meet every other day.With the sad murder of 15 year old Kriss Donald racial tensions are at an all time high and i only hope that this film will open peoples eyes to the blatant racism on both parts in british society.If the bradford riots didnt do it then i for one fear for the worst.I hope that through the medeium of film we can open the eyes of my generation.I am a 22 year old who is trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel.Is the rest of Britian as bad as Glasgow ?

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Britain? There is darkness worldwide, just as there is light.

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[deleted]

Well the kind of people in this do happen to destroy the lives of innocents in the real world, and to call someone an arrogant bigot for recognising them as the scum that they are makes you quite arrogant yourself. Someone who has lost a loved one to muggings or rapes or beatings does not want to hear about the hardships of the villains, because when you know what it feels like, it is completely and utterly irrelevant.

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