Despite the fact that Ray Winstone looks like he's always been about fifty-four-years old, Scum shows the actor as a younger - and no less capable - performer in Alan Clarke's gritty portrait of British borstal. Winstone plays Carlin, a young man who - after taking the blame for his brother's crimes - is transferred to an unknown borstal and tries to keep his head down. Given that this is a film, though, things don't go exactly as planned. Scum was majorly controversial film upon its release, mainly for its brutal depictions of violence and strong language. In retrospect, it's still a hard-hitting movie and one that has lost none of its power; Scum is the very definition of "survival of the fittest." Clarke's picture has inspired countless imitators over the years, but this movie is still perhaps the best film about the prison system to have ever come out of the United Kingdom because it rings true. And who, in all honestly, can forget that canteen scene?
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
