Cast: Brad Renfro, Rachel Miner, Nick Stahl, Bijou Phillips, Michael Pitt, Kelli Garner, Daniel Franzese, Leo Fitzpatrick
Director: Larry Clark
Producers: Jordan Gertner, Chris Hanley, David McKenna, Don Murphy, Fernando Sulichin
Screenplay: Zachary Long, Roger Pullis, based on the book by Jim Schutze
Cinematography: Steve Gainer
U.S. Distributor: Lions Gate Films
Bully is the second kick-to-the-stomach feature from director Larry Clark to explore the mindset underlying acts of teen violence. Like Kids, Clark's first outing, Bully is stark and uncompromising in its depiction of characters, their circumstances, and their actions. Unlike Kids, however, which focused on a budding sociopath, Bully deals with "regular" high school students and how a combination of the mob mentality and latent anger can lead to an unspeakable act of violence. Bully doesn't set itself up as a "wake up call", but it is required viewing for anyone who wants to gain a measure of understanding about the whys and hows of escalating teen violence. Events like what happened at Columbine High School in Colorado are not "senseless" - to the perpetrators, they make perfect sense; the trick is to break the code encrypting that mindset. With Bully, Clark has not gone that far, but, by presenting his subject matter without a whiff of exploitation, he offers a small window of access that is as disturbing as it is illuminating.
Nearly every neighborhood has a bully, and some are worse than others. In the Hollywood, Florida suburb where Marty Puccio (Brad Rendfro) and his family live, that bully is Marty's "best friend", Bobby Kent (Nick Stahl). Bobby is a smart boy with a bright future - he gets good grades and is college-bound. But he has a dark side. He constantly abuses and humiliates Marty, and often displays an unchecked penchant for sexual violence. He likes rough sex, and has acquired a taste for rape. He's the kind of person who used to be known as a "bad seed".
Individually, none of the characters arrayed against Bobby would be capable of a homicidal act. Marty has spent so much time enduring Bobby's taunts and torments that it has become second nature to him. Lisa (Rachel Miner), Marty's girlfriend, has self-esteem problems. Like a traditional victim of domestic abuse, she professes her undying love for him even after his rough treatment leaves her with badly bruised wrists. Lisa's pal, Ali (Bijou Phillips), is into kinky sex, and her friends, Donny (Michael Pitt) and Heather (Kelli Garner), are in constant pursuit of a drug-related high. Finally, there's Derek (Daniel Franzese), Lisa's neighbor and "protector", who spends most of his free time playing video games. All six are harmless on their own, but, when put together with a common goal - to kill Bobby - they become lethal.
The victim mentality permeates this group. These are teenagers who, instead of acting to better themselves, are content to be carried by the inertia of their wasted lives. As one mother points out, "You guys don't work, you don't go to school, you don't do anything." When the idea of killing Bobby is broached, Lisa, Marty, and the others are galvanized. The murder, as viewed from afar, gives them the opportunity to break the monotony of their existences. They mark the approaching event much as they would a holiday - with excitement and anticipation. And, because they aren't experienced in the art of killing, they decide to recruit professional help in the form of a local hitman (Leo Fitzpatrick).
On the surface, one could easily mistake Bully for a revenge fantasy - six people delivering a blow against the vile individual who has made each of them suffer in a different way. Indeed, with a slightly different focus and an altered script, Bully could have been a Death Wish for teens. But Clark's intent here is not to exploit, and, as a result, there isn't a moment of exultation to be found during Bully's 112-minute running time. This is a grim motion picture that exposes us to the true horror of what's going on in these kids' lives. This isn't just a simple act of vengeance - it's an expression of rage directed against an uncaring world and an extreme reaction to their pointless and unmotivated lives. Bobby is an unpleasant individual, but there are other ways to stop him besides killing him - only none has the same seductive allure. Of course, the film also deals with consequences. Since this is not a fantasy, one would be foolish to expect a happy ending. The film's final half hour forces the characters to stare deep into the naked face of reality, and see it in all of its rancidity.
Clark's brutal style is mostly successful, although there are some minor miscues along the way. In one scene, he puts the camera in the midst of a group of characters and rotates it for a needlessly long period of time, creating a dizzying effect. This is as close as I have ever come to being motion sick in a movie theater. Also, there are a couple of occasions when Clark's camera lingers voyeuristically on certain parts of the female anatomy (such as a close-up shot of a girl's crotch, partially covered by jeans shorts). Bully does not shy from shocking scenes - there is a lot of graphic simulated sex, full frontal nudity, and unvarnished violence. Had the movie been submitted to the MPAA for classification (which it was not), there's no doubt it would have received an NC-17.
The best-known "name" to appear in Bully is Brad Renfro, who, in part because of personal problems, has been out of the spotlight for several years (he is still probably most clearly remembered as the kid in The Client). Renfro is very capable here - he captures both Marty's pain and his impotence, and shows the rage simmering just beneath the surface. Nick Stahl does a good job portraying Bobby as a vicious, detestable bully (with perhaps just a hint of reptilian charisma). The most courageous performance belongs to Rachel Miner (the former Mrs. Macaulay Culkin), who spends a fair amount of time completely naked and is not always shown in the most favorable light. The supporting cast includes a return engagement for Leo Fitzpatrick, who was riveting as the lead in Kids.
Bully is one of those films that stays with you long after you have left the theater. It isn't a perfect motion picture, but it is a powerful one, and leaves a lasting impression. Adapted from Jim Schutze's "true crime" novel, Bully takes a seemingly straightforward tale of revenge and turns it into a cautionary narrative offering a few dark psychological insights. Bully isn't an easy film to sit through, but, for those who can stomach its bleak vantage point, it is not to be missed.
© 2001 James Berardinelli