An ordinary high school day. Except that it's not.
Short - only 80 mins. (I read that the title was taken from Alan Clarke's 1989 BBC drama about violence in Northern Ireland. Not sure why...)
Fantastically well realised in terms of naturalism of script, dialogue and performances. (I read that they were real high school kids, many using their own real names, and that much of the dialogue was improvised.) Most of the film is the build-up, as we accompany various kids around the school. Fantastic long (tracking?) shots, walking along endless corridors and other parts of the school, concentrating our attention on the people, often behind, sometimes from in front, often just on their faces. Time is fluid, as we keep returning to the same junctions between people, but from another person's point of view.
We see some of the preparation of the two boys who commit the massacre, how easy it is to buy assault weapons, and get them delivered to the door with no questions asked. The thoroughness of their planning beforehand, showing it was not a spontaneous but premeditated act. The FPS (first-person shooter - a type of violent video-game) they play, similar to what they later do - a bit controversial, this! Their (gay?) activity.
But we get little suggestion as to the motivation behind the boys' action. There is little/no emotion shown by the killers, apart from some enjoyment when they succeed in shooting people. Is this good or bad? On the one hand, we are allowed to draw our own conclusions. However, there is little evidence to base any conclusions on, so, on the other hand, it is difficult to ascribe motivation. It then becomes a film about outward actions, about surfaces, with little indication of anything beneath. So, somewhat unsatisfying: you give us the experience of the massacre but don't tell us anything really new, unless it's that motiveless crime exists? Interesting: the Radio Times review takes the same tack as I have, querying the lack of depth to the film.
Ebert puts a positive spin on it: "It simply looks at the day as it unfolds, and that is a brave and radical act; it refuses to supply reasons and assign cures, so that we can close the case and move on."
- Rating: Matinee
- When seen: 2 Sep 2010
- Where seen: Home
- More information: IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Wikipedia
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Amendments: added actor tags: "Alex Frost, Eric Deulen, John Robinson". Removed link to Wikipedia-sourced image. Added ranking image.
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