Right, so this is the movie Alan Clarke is most known for. This was part of the BBC series “Play for Today”, but after BBC saw what Clarke had made, they refused to show it. Which led to Clarke making a cinema version two years later, which might be his only not-for-TV movie or something?
BBC didn’t show it until 1991.
Clarke (and writer Minton) was doing a little series about institutions, I guess? Their previous BBC movie was about a mental institution, and now it’s about kids in prison…
I’m not sure the dialogue here is very convincing…
See what I mean?
Ah yes, the 70s.
No respect for personal space!
The Wikipedia page said the make sure to ground everything in research, and… it does seem will researched. I mean, broadly. But … the scenes themselves don’t seem convincing? Especially the dialogue, which is very… articulate.
But I mean — it’s pretty entertaining.
I dunno… it feels like it could do with… more? This seems oddly abbreviated without anything resolved, which may indeed be the point.
But it’s pretty good.
Scum. Alan Clarke. 1977. ⚃
