Thursday, May 1, 2014

Movie of the Month: Gummo

Harmony Korine has made a career of being unconventional and often times, off the wall. The creator of Kids and last year's underrated Spring Breakers, really stirred his talents in 1997 with the release of Gummo. The film is an unconventional story and told in an unconventional way. Using a mix of non-actors and professional actors like Chloe Sevigny, Gummo tells the story of a small Ohio town after a massive tornado has ripped through one of the poorest parts of the state. The film is told from the prospective of a tween boy and how the people of the town try and rebuild and the situations they face throughout everyday life from making money to passing time. While the film was panned on its original release and has been labeled a cult film, Korine showed a daring and bold look as to how the other half really lives and what it is like in these towns that still exist in the 21st century. While Gummo is indeed a film that is "out there" in how the story unfolds, it is also a creative and unique vision of storytelling.