a good way to miss the point

[czeri]

I wanted to write a serious entry analysing what an amazing film "Bang Bang You're Dead" is. I planned to point out how, even if I don't buy the easy answer it offers by tying school suicide shootings with bullying ("Elephant" got it better), it's still a gut-wrenching study on what bullying can do to a person.

Unfortunately, I got distracted.

You see, ever since I've read Ben's "Out" interview, I had this little bit stuck in my head:

At his photo shoot a week later, he’s lost the Mohawk and is gamely posing in a pair of tight white jeans. After taking a few shots, the photographer points out what everyone has been quietly discussing since Foster showed up on the set: “That’s a big package you’ve got there, Ben!” Not even attempting to feign embarrassment, he flashes everyone a smile that’s more than mischievous and a little less than menacing. In less than 20 minutes he’s successfully seduced three gay men and a lesbian.

And "Bang Bang You're Dead", what with being a TV movie and therefore full of 3/4 shots, delivers a good view of what the "Out" people were raving about:





As if my mind wasn't already firmly planted in the gutter, then there's this scene:



What they whisper to each other, you ask?



Randy: "I'm in so much trouble."
Ben: "I'm in trouble with you."

I kid you not. How can one concentrate on serious issues under such circumstances?!

Comments

[baggyeyes]

yeah, I saw that article too - I had a similar screencap from 3:10 - but didn't post it. Now I can't find it.

[czeri.livejournal.com]

"3:10"? Seriously? Huh, I was watching it pretty closely, but it's all close-ups, 1/2 shots, or wide shots in which Charlie's silhouette is too small to see any details. Or maybe I just need a bigger TV ;-)

Anyway, I now have this scene stuck in my head of how, not long after Charlie joined Ben's gang, Ben took Charlie clothes shopping (the boy had to learn style from somewhere). And as the tailor was measuring Charlie for inseams, he suddenly grew all flustered, while Charlie dragged his eyes away from Ben long enough to regard the tailor with a severe frown. That'd have had Ben wondering ;-)

[sunisshiningnow.livejournal.com]

Hah, I read that article too! So great. *o*

And: >_> *cough*...*cough*

Also, now I really need to see that movie... ;)

[czeri.livejournal.com]

Oh! The first picture is not technically from the movie, though, but from the materials about making of the movie ;-) And the second doesn't actually show much. I bet whatever indecent shots did make it onto the actual film footage were then cleaned up in post-production.

As for "Bang Bang You're Dead", it is definitely worth seeing. I do have to warn you that the subject matter is extremely disturbing and it can be quite heart-breaking to watch. Still, it's pretty much all Ben all the time. What can be better than that, right? ;-)

[baggyeyes]

The first one is one of what I had, but the other, Foster didn't have his hand on his gun. Mostly the making of docs have the 'below the waist' shots. I imagine riding the horses got a little too exciting for some of the actors.