The bullying of high school freshmen by seniors is at the centre of Richard Linklater's slacker comedy. Many of the early scenes focus on the "hazing" of the new freshmen intake by some rather brutal older pupils, including Ben Affleck's borderline psychotic O'Bannion. O'Bannion and his friends from the school football team take great joy in taking a paddle to the backside of the younger students and the group are infuriated when Mitch Kramer and his friends escape the initial hazing. O'Bannion finally catches up with Mitch at a baseball game and brutally paddles him, later doing the same to one of his friends. With the help of some older kids who also dislike O'Banion, Mitch hatches a plan to give the bully a taste of his own medicine. Under the guise of paddling another freshman, O'Banion is lured to a specific place and a can of paint is dumped on his head. It's a real punch-the-air moment that stands out amongst the multiple strands of Dazed & Confused's ensemble. Mitch has the most interesting character arc in the film and O'Banion's humiliation is a real turning point for the narrative. Plus, it's always entertaining to see an awful person covered in paint. Especially if that person is set to be the next Batman.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
