Bully

Just as in Larry Clark’s previous films Kids (1995) and Another Day in Paradise (1999), Bully also focuses on wild and drugabusing kids who hang out, and just as in those other films, Bully also received a very mixed reception. Opinions range from ‘daring and taboobreaking masterpiece’ to ‘rancid teensploitation’. Clark himself says it is a film about morality.In making Bully, Clark allowed himself to be inspired by a real event: the murder of teenager Bobby Kent in 1993 in Florida, described in the book by Jim Schutze. Clark’s film version of the gruesome murder and events surrounding it has a verité style, which gives it a raw and realistic mood. The rap soundtrack by Eminem ties in well with the world of the four teenagers, beautifully acted by the young cast.With his childhood buddy Marty, Bobby doesn’t do much apart from use drugs and exploit gays: they sell homemade porn videos to them and take part in phone sex. Bobby is a sadistic, dominant kid who has Marty entirely in his power. On the beach, the two kids meet Ali and Lisa. Ali is a pretty and spoilt girl, Lisa is her shy friend. Lisa falls in love with Marty. When Bobby feels that he is losing his power over Marty, he really gets dangerous. A fresh encounter with Ali ends in a rape, after which Lisa now pregnant convinces Marty that Bobby has to die.