Comments on: Gummo http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/2008/04/05/gummo/ The Darkest Corner of the Web Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:39:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.0 by: paulwjm http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/2008/04/05/gummo/#comment-3105 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:15:23 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/2008/04/05/gummo/#comment-3105 Yes, the girl appears to be disabled in some way. Obviously if that was Korine's response then he'd deserve any negative attention he got. Without substantiation though I suppose it's better to assume innocence until evidence of some kind materialises. We have little or no idea what goes on behind the scenes of these films and in this case I take Gummo purely on face value in contextual terms of cinema. Yes, the girl appears to be disabled in some way. Obviously if that was Korine’s response then he’d deserve any negative attention he got. Without substantiation though I suppose it’s better to assume innocence until evidence of some kind materialises. We have little or no idea what goes on behind the scenes of these films and in this case I take Gummo purely on face value in contextual terms of cinema.

]]> by: anephric http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/2008/04/05/gummo/#comment-3097 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:13:00 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/2008/04/05/gummo/#comment-3097 Iirc, the scene where the girl shaves off her eyebrows was the subject of much criticism, I think because the girl is evidentally disabled? I don't remember it that well. The gist was that Korine had forced her into doing it, photographed it and it was just like laughing at a gimp in a sideshow. I have no idea of the truth of that criticism. Iirc, the scene where the girl shaves off her eyebrows was the subject of much criticism, I think because the girl is evidentally disabled? I don’t remember it that well. The gist was that Korine had forced her into doing it, photographed it and it was just like laughing at a gimp in a sideshow. I have no idea of the truth of that criticism.

]]> by: paulwjm http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/2008/04/05/gummo/#comment-3090 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:06:20 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/2008/04/05/gummo/#comment-3090 First time I saw this was around 2000 so I missed any controversy that may have occurred around the release date - certainly don't recall hearing anything about it. I don't personally consider it poking a stick at something but I suppose you can take the intentions of a director who makes such material as this in various ways. I understand he came from a similar sort of background himself. It's certainly exploitative but that's only due to the nature of this kind of lifestyle being highlighted - that is, if you're going to document material such as this cinematically it would be difficult or impossible to do it justly in such a way that it wouldn't be considered exploitative. I see it as a particularly honest, insightful, and perceptive look at a side of life that many of us might otherwise have been ignorant to, either involuntarily or voluntarily depending on the person. I'm glad someone else out there has seen this one though! First time I saw this was around 2000 so I missed any controversy that may have occurred around the release date - certainly don’t recall hearing anything about it.
I don’t personally consider it poking a stick at something but I suppose you can take the intentions of a director who makes such material as this in various ways. I understand he came from a similar sort of background himself. It’s certainly exploitative but that’s only due to the nature of this kind of lifestyle being highlighted - that is, if you’re going to document material such as this cinematically it would be difficult or impossible to do it justly in such a way that it wouldn’t be considered exploitative. I see it as a particularly honest, insightful, and perceptive look at a side of life that many of us might otherwise have been ignorant to, either involuntarily or voluntarily depending on the person.

I’m glad someone else out there has seen this one though!

]]> by: anephric http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/2008/04/05/gummo/#comment-3089 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:46:16 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/2008/04/05/gummo/#comment-3089 Gummo was very controversial when it was released (I remember seeing it theatrically). Korine got accused of all kinds of exploitation, some of it I agree with, and came off (at the time) as a particularly purulent adolescent intent on shocking anyone who would look or listen. Gummo has some memorable scenes and imagery, but I'm not sure it's in aid of anything other than poking a stick at a particularly vulnerable underbelly. It's a celebration and an exploitation, which left a lot of people uncomfortable. Gummo was very controversial when it was released (I remember seeing it theatrically). Korine got accused of all kinds of exploitation, some of it I agree with, and came off (at the time) as a particularly purulent adolescent intent on shocking anyone who would look or listen.

Gummo has some memorable scenes and imagery, but I’m not sure it’s in aid of anything other than poking a stick at a particularly vulnerable underbelly. It’s a celebration and an exploitation, which left a lot of people uncomfortable.

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