Gummo

Harrowing as its glimpses of economic and psychological ruin are, Gummo doesn’t merely wallow in its characters’ dire straits.

Like a kid acting up for attention, the wise-ass Korine wants desperately to be in your face - to offend and provoke. And he does a damn good job getting his way. If for no other reason, "Gummo" deserves to be seen.

After his persuasively disturbing screenplay for Larry Clark's Kids, Harmony Korine 's Gummo comes as a disappointment.

The unyielding and uncomfortable manner in which Gummo grapples with human diversity has also allowed it to linger long in the memory.

Is the perspective of youth in this country really so devoid of significance, and their existence so septic? These are good questions, although "Gummo" provides neither answer nor solution, nor even thematic cohesion.

The point of all this nihilism and grotesqueness? You got me.

Although Harmony Korine is considered an important filmmaker and an auteur director in his own right, his debut is a tough hang and only reserved for those with a strong stomach for misery and the grotesque.

The purpose of the film is seemingly to expose movie goers to an existence that they may otherwise pretend does not exist, while at the same time eliciting a reaction of discomfort. In that arena its a resounding success...

A tragic satire – blackly funny, often disturbing, unthinkably sad.



There are moments of genuine spectacle, but the ongoing freakshow feels, like Kids, exploitative...