Minatures

I recently worked on a film that had the heart tugged out of it because US censors recommended an age rating that stole the movie away from the demographic for which it was written and filmed. In order to satisfy the censor, two innocent scenes that suggested our leading protagonists (19 & 21 years old) undertook consentual heterosexual love making were cut. And so too was the very essence of the film. Whilst these scenes were tastefully dealt with, no act other than kissing and hugging were to be seen on screen. The mere suggestion that two young, single, but unmarried, people would engage in premarital sex would be unexceptable for young teenagers to be exposed to. No scenes of violence or indeed shooting or swearing were cut, or indeed commented on.

And so to A Man Apart. Agreably a film whose certification suggests no young teen would ever watch it, if indeed under strict parental supervision, wait until they were classified as old enough dare to watch it. And what a treat they have in store.

I cannot critisise Vin for his performance, he so embodies the californian state of mind that is being spread like a buttery violent cultural condiment across north america and the rest of the world.

I cite an amazing scene in this film that at first is one of the funniest depictions I have ever seen of a man, being torn apart. Excuse the pun. But where I find the "You're tearing me apart!!" line from Jimmy Dean in "Rebel..." embarassing in it's overstatement (spoilt rich kid, shut up!) I find this scene equal in embarassment for it's understatement. For, on having Vin's soul mate violently shot to pieces, finally laying to rest in his arms quivering in a pathetic mound. We are presented by a short montage that exposes Vin's true torment as a consequence. We have the camera pan around a now bearded Diesel sucking on a cigarette in a manner that can only be described as that of your average 12 year old's first pump on a minty Reyno. The fag (english I'm sorry) or cigarette is planted firmly behind one of his rear molars not unlike someone who has just watched the cigar munching Patton for Nicotine research. But the true magic is yet to come.... Just so the audience know that this character is well and trully F****d off, the director gets, poor fitness fanatic, (and a big fan of Judi Dench I hear) Diesel, bearded, Reyno'd up to the hilt, to swig away desperately on a bottle of Vodka.

OK?

Well no, a full bottle of Vodka? a half, a quart? No, Vin swigs violently on a minature. A minature! Y'know the one's they give away on planes? A double shot of Voddy, the kind of measure the average teenager could mainline without even blinking. It's funny, real funny. Production budget didn't stretch to a full bottle? Funny or is it?

My argument is that the filmakers filmed this scene in order to justify the blood fest that follows. The bullets, blood, and unbelievable loss of life we encounter for the remainder of the film. We feel for the character because he has lost, he has yearned, his character has failed, embodied by his wantan growth of facial hair, his sucking, badly on a cigarette, his shameful skulling of an ENTIRE minature bottle of Vodka! Man! This is a Californian adonis you guys have messed with! Look at what he's doing with his body! Used to be such a nice boy when he was fighting side by side with Hanks. What have you done! HE SHOULD KILL EVERYBODY!!!

This film, this scene is so important to me is because it seems to justify horrendous actions and a dissapropriate responses from people we regard too highly. There's a few people these days who on a seemingly weekly basis take to the proverbial pack of Reynos (they already have beards) and minatures cupboard and act in ways that to us seem so totally unacceptable to all of us. We don't understand them, yet we're so willing to relate to the plight of someone like Vin. I'm not suggesting we start idolising these idiots, these real psychopaths either, but I think Hollywood could help in presenting the human condition in a better light. Maybe highlight humanity's better points?

Bring on shagging teenagers I say...