Thanks for the memories!

Sadly Over-hyped

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Tough new inmate Carlin (superbly played with riveting intensity by Ray Winstone) gets sent to a British borstal for young offenders. Despite conflicts with both the guards and fellow inmates, Carlin soon becomes the new top con in the joint.Director Alan Clarke does a tremendous (and terrifying) job of presenting prison as an absolute claustrophobic and dehumanizing hellhole seething with rage, hatred, and violence in which the strong prey on the weak, only the fittest and most ruthless survive, and the venal staff prove to be every bit as savage and predatory as the hardened criminals. Roy Minton's hard-hitting script not only pulls no punches in its stark and unflinching addressing of such harsh and troubling issues as racism, corruption, and the abuse of power and authority, but also offers a frighteningly persuasive argument for exactly why prison reformation doesn't work due to the way it puts far too much emphasis on punishment and deprivation.The uniformly excellent acting from a top-rate cast rates as another substantial asset: Mick Ford provides several welcome and much-appreciated moments of delightfully brash humor as impudent intellectual anarchist Archer, Julian Firth contributes a heart-wrenching portrayal as the frail and vulnerable Davis (the sequence in which Davis gets rape by three boys in a greenhouse is extremely difficult to watch), Phil Daniels snivels it up nicely as weaselly loudmouth Richards, and John Judd impresses with his fierce turn as fearsome and pitiless head officer Mr. Sands. Phil Meheux's stark cinematography gives this picture a potent sense of documentary-like realism. Brutal and disturbing for sure, but still quite powerful and impossible to shake just the same.

I regard this film as the truest and best depiction of life in a British borstal, or indeed prison, of any film ever made about being incarcerated. Most films in this genre over dramatize, or trade the reality of prison life, for a pseudo/stereotypical version. By doing this they pander to peoples idea of what its like and lose the reality.Ray Winstone shows why he became a sought after actor, giving a poignant and honest portrayal of the lead character 'Carlin'. Credit also goes to Phil Daniels who plays 'Striper', (a prison term form slashing someone across the face with a razor). He acts with a menacing grin and believable viciousness.The cast as a whole are excellent, the script is true to life and seems as though it was written by a prisoner, plus the set actually looks like a borstal.This is one of my top 20 films, though it isn't for the faint hearted.10 out of 10

There was a time in Great Britain's history when they had a juvenile detention system known as "the borstal". The theory behind it was to allow young criminals a chance at rehabilitation. According to this film, it was a completely screwed-up plan that resulted in "making" criminals rather than "reforming" them. It resulted in the entire system being disbanded in the early 80s. SCUM has been known as the most controversial movie to ever come out of England. The reasons being that it depicts the sheer brutality one would find inside a borstal. The film is also iconic for starring a very young Ray Winstone in the role of juvenile delinquent Carlin. At the start of the film, we watch as Carlin and two others are brought to a newer, harsher borstal. Upon stepping foot inside, they are led one-by-one into the headmaster's office and subjected to insults and threats by the wardens. From there, things only get worse as they are led onto A-wing and meet "the Daddy", a vicious punk and his two lackeys. But Carlin won't stand for the way things are for long. And before you know it, he's taking over as the new Daddy. The only character who seems to be unaffected by the constant, underlying sense of menace, is Archer. His solution is to cause as much trouble to the system as he can, in his own way. Which includes refusing to eat meat, wear shoes, and becoming a Muslim. Overall, the film is brutal. Often times, it shows that the wardens (known as "screws") are no better than the crooks. If they're not threatening the young boys, they're ineffectively (and even half-heartedly) trying to build their character. At turns tragic, violent, and occasionally humorous, it will leave you chilled to the bone. And if you think it's all a little hard to believe, several British ex-criminals have admitted they started a life of crime simply to survive inside the borstal.

This is with out doubt an all time British classic,this was a really good film a young Ray shines. if you haven't seen Nill by mouth i recommend that to, sorry its short but this is my first review and i am getting used to the site rules i would give this 8 out of 10. Another good film is Gangster # one.or the Essex boy's with Sean bean. or Charlie with Luke gos.all in all this is one of the best films i have ever seen.this is real British drama at its best.if you know of any better please let me know. i would love to see them .