After watching the film 'Kids' I had to question why, as fashion promotional students we were asked to watch this specific film. Yes, I under stood that the director of the film is involved, or has been involved in photography and image making but the film, with all its graphic scenes and heavy sexual theme, running alongside this drugs lifestyle, from a fashion perspective I didn't initially understand why we needed to see the film.
However, in our lecture yesterday we broke the film down: analysing our thoughts and looking at film stills to understand the film that little more.
We firstly as small groups discussed our ideas about the film, here are my notes; graphic scenes, street cast-bad acting-able to notice this- good or bad? Old fashioned skins, street style/culture, 90's youth culture, similarities of heroin chic (Corrine Day)-aesthetic style. We then as a whole class considered other elements.
'Kids' is a film that really highlights, in my opinion, an undesirable lifestyle. Larry Clark's direction seems to have been deliberately shown in a gritty way, and with the actors being street cast for this film, the reality of the film (youth culture from the 90's) seems to be more apparent. Clark is well known for his themes of drug use, youth culture, under-age sex and violence. His book 'Tulsa' which is a documentation really of his life, is one which highlights this 'exotic' lifestyle. These themes that Clark has are 'timeless': emotions, sex, alcohol, drugs and relationships are all themes that happen on a day to day basis and may always will, this is probably why he is so successful with his work and is very successful at really creating an experience.
When thinking about the film in terms of fashion relation, we could apply the emotion provoked to the 'Heroin Chic' photographer Corrinne Day, the references are really strong, the styling, although quite simple and under-styled- at first glance, helps in showing this lack lustre, gritty student culture.
There was an image, which Adam showed us, that highlighted this idea of suggestion, the image, from the opening scene, shows a young girl being 'controlled' by 'Telly' the main kid, played by Leo Fitzpatrick. The styling really emphasizes her innocence and his dark edge and character. The use of the pale blue background, behind the girl references her naivety because of the connotations we have with this specific colour, and the meanings that we get through the teddy bears also, only highlights this more so. In the background of Telly, we see what looks like a vinyl, a Beastie Boys vinyl at that, which again comes along with connotations of its own and his side, in terms of colour, is more darker. All these stylist choices aid the scene and the look for the film. The snapshot aesthetic too, emphasises the film's 'reality' aspect and although this style is more simplistic, it could be seen as creative and constructive as a cinematic style.
When I left the lecture my head felt slightly more clearer in terms of why this film choice, but still the film isn't one of my top 10.
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