Skip to main content

The Plague

3.5 Stars out of 4



 
The recent TV series Adolescence, created quite a stir around the world. It even produced the youngest Emmy winner ever in Owen Cooper. It's a tough watch and extremely thought-provoking. The essential question asking, "What the hell is happening with kids right now?"

That's not to suggest bullying hasn't been around for a while. Lord of the Flies is 70 year's old, but we could probably go back thousands of years before that.

This movie is something different though. I remember this movie, even though it is most certainly not about growing up in my era. Children in groups (particularly around 12 or 13) can exhibit a kind of viciousness that can be hard to explain unless you've been on the wrong side of it. Sadly, I've been on both sides of this particular equation.

The "plague" in this case is a skin condition a boy named Eli suffers from, that cause the others to torture him. It's nothing he did or said, but just the skin condition that causes this. He's really kind of an interesting kid. The movies focuses its lense through the eyes of Ben, a newcomer to the camp who must decide if he wants to join the torturers or befriend the lone wolf. 

At first Ben goes along with the popular group, led by the evil Jake, who seems to be one of those kids who dreams up new ways to inflict pain on others. Although Ben goes along at first, he starts to wrestle with his own moral code at the tender age of 12. Is he really okay with this horrible shit? It's a question that history has asked throughout the ages. Would YOU have been the one to stand up in 18th century America against slavery? Or as a German citizen in Nazi Germany? We all would like to think we would be that person. 

Call me a cynic, but human nature says no. If history has taught us anything, it's that people will do almost anything to belong and avoid upsetting the herd. 

But Ben decides he is going to be one of these people, and he slowly befriends Eli. When he helps him treat his skin condition, the other boys decide that HE now also has the plague and he is now tortured as well. And I don't mean "teased" when I say tortured. I really mean the word tortured.

Ben begins to develop a skin rash like Eli, confirming to the other boys that he does indeed have the plague now. But viewers will understand the metaphor. The plague is not Eczema or some skin condition.

It's the extreme cruelty of adolescence.

The director Charlie Polinger cited Full Metal Jacket as one of the inspirations for this film. I can see why. In that movie we watch Private Pyle descend into madness as a result of sustained bullying.

It happens here as well. The ending leaves some room for interpretation. What are we to make of Ben's wild dancing at the end of the film? Is the message he has finally realized he doesn't care what other people think anymore, or is he descending into madness?

This one will stay with you for a while. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wuthering Heights

                                                                                                             2.5 Stars out of 4                                   There is nothing quite as desirable as something you can’t have. Desire can be all-consuming in this regard. But it also often fades when the conquest is achieved and the mystery begins to dissolve. It's not a sustainable thing. But once or twice in a lifetime, we might catch lightening in a bottle. We might find sexual attraction, deep emotional connection, AND commitment in the same person. If you find this, my advice is to hang on to it for dear life. It comes ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is this thing on?

Is this thing on? 3.5 stars out of 4. A wise man once said, Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard. That’s a good place to start with this movie. The couple in this film seem like they get along well enough, but they’ve agreed to get a divorce. They are both trying to be as nice as possible despite the massive Elephant in the room. They have kids and a house and a community. There are going to be some logistical issues. You kind of wonder why these two are breaking up. A key piece of understanding comes from Lara Dern’s character towards the end of the movie when she says, “ I was unhappy in our marriage. I wasn't unhappy with our marriage.” It's the key line in the whole movie. These were two people who had dreams. She was going to be a professional Volleyball player. Her dreams were clear. His are a little more hidden, and where the movie spends most of it’s time. He has a vague job in “finance” that’s nice enough to pay for a big house in the New York suburb...
Post a Comment
Read more

Song, Sung, Blue

3.5 Stars out of 4 I've always been fascinated by bands that imitate other bands. Some I have seen have been downright awful and a few have sounded better than the bands they were imitating.  Musicians often live on the margins, and only a select few get rich doing it. Sometimes, wildly talented people never get their break. Conversely, plenty of mediocre talents have also become superstars. Timing, nepotism, connections and just flat-out luck all play a part. But having dipped a toe in the show business world myself, I would say a combination of exceptional talent AND the exceptional ability to sell yourself would give you the best possible chance to succeed. That or the Nepotism thing.  But even then, there would be no guarantee.  Some musicians accept they will never get big playing their own songs and make a living playing cover songs. Some of my favorite people fit into this category. You can still bring a lot of joy to the world singing other people's songs.  I...
Post a Comment
Read more