Takes the phrase 'demonizing the youth' and runs with it
I can't say I thought this film was brilliant, because I'd be lying. Certainly it has its failings. What I definitely did enjoy, however, was the spin Ridley put on the phrase 'demonizing the youth', because he did it absolutely literally. That, I thought, worked very well. And phrases which have become increasingly prominent in today's society - such as "kingdom of horror" and "no one lifts a finger to help" - despite being somewhat incongruously placed, nevertheless hammer home what I feel to be one half of the film's central message; namely that society nowadays is a cruel and dangerous place, and it's every man for himself because everyone else is too terrified to intervene.
The other half of the message, which equally struck a chord with me, is that only in dark and desperate times do we learn to truly appreciate the 'bright things' that life has to offer, be they small or sparse or fleeting, and I found this also very well presented. Society has always had its murky underbelly, but not until the last decade has this truly made the transition into the mainstream culture. These are indeed dark times, and probably going to continue darkening - that is, until we 'stop being afraid'(because it 'doesn't work when you're not afraid') - so we must treasure, take strength in, and never take for granted the good that still remains. Sounds bleak I know, but I think it's a very realistic message, and for me, this was what worked about the movie; it's core realism. Whether the Devil (I assume the B in Papa B stands for Beelzebub?)does live in a tower block and beats his daughter, and the true face of today's overpopulous feral youth is of a demon, fact is these nightmarish aspects of society are here in whichever form you choose (or are forced by mental illness) to see, which in effect renders their form irrelevant, essentially.
That's all I've got to say so far...I might amend this post later, however.
Thoughts, anyone?
*-* shameless utilization of sig for no reason in particular *-*