Scum (1979)

Alan Clarke’s infamous portrayal of the borstal system forced a reevaluation of the structure on its release back in 1979. Banned on release, labeled repulsive and disgusting amongst other things, none of these accusations are unfounded, but they do miss the point somewhat. I consider myself pretty desensitised over many years of watching films, but I was shocked at the violence in Scum, in the best way possible. It’s probably the best I’ve seen Ray Winstone, this his breakout role, and there’s also a terrific performance from Mick Ford as the eccentric Archer. Despite the violence, I couldn’t tear my eyes from Scum. It’s far from just a video nasty, and it’s certainly not just a shock picture. It’s engrossing and harrowing, well performed, and wonderfully raw. It’s lost absolutely none of the power it would have had on release in 1979, and if you can stomach some wince inducing violence, Scum is ninety minutes you won’t regret. 8.4/10