Harmony Korine is pretty much the definition of a divisive filmmaker. Capitalising on the success of Kids, he broke onto the directing scene with the similarly controversial Gummo and his body of work has continued to provoke shock, thought and disgust in equal measure. To some, he baits controversy, and to others, he has important things to say, and does it in a distinctive style. This run continued with Spring Breakers, which played like an all-too-real horror film crossed with Girls Gone Wild. It was hedonism pushed to staggering lengths, from the former Disney Princesses bedecked in bikinis to the drugs, sex and violence punctuating its runtime. To some, this cocktail was intoxicating. Described by The Huffington Post as Scarface meets Britney Spears, the combination was unique and thrilling, helped no end by James Franco's tragic-comic turn as the rapper Alien. Yet to others, it was repellent. Like Gummo before it, it could be argued that Korine's take on Generation Y culture was a pandering, misogynistic piece of trash, crammed with voyeuristic shots of lithe, bikini-clad beauties. It was hard to question them subtext by its very nature isn't obvious, and it's entirely possible the film could be perceived not as a self-aware part of the solution, but an oblivious part of the problem. After all, when there's this much sex and violence on show, it's hard not to occasionally cock an eyebrow.
Durham University graduate and qualified sports journalist. Very good at sitting down and watching things. Can multi-task this with playing computer games. Football Manager addict who has taken Shrewsbury Town to the summit of the Premier League.
You can follow me at @Ed_OwenUK, if you like ramblings about Newcastle United and A Place in the Sun. If you don't, I don't know what I can do for you.
