There have always been bullies. In fact, you could be correct in assuming that some of the world's nastiest conquerors began their lives of cruel oppression as childhood bullies.
There have been bullies in literature, and there have always been bullies in movies. Hollywood's Dead End Kids had a bully or two in their midst, as well as going up against their fair share of tough kids.
Was Moe Howard of the Three Stooges a bully? What about Bud Abbott constantly berating Lou Costello? I've always thought that Howard and Abbott were, in fact, bullies.
Fictional bullying is one thing. Relentless, real-life bullying is another. Does fantasy bullying create or reflect the bullying that goes on in the real world? Do kids imitate what they see on television, or does television reflect a much coarser society?
There isn't any doubt that television programming is filled with a new strain of meanness, nastier characters, and an increase in vulgar responses during conversations. Children today see more acts of sex and violence on TV programs than any generation in the history of the medium.
Is bullying a reaction? Or is there something deeper going on in society as a whole? And don't for a second think that bullying is an American phenomenon. "Lord Of The Flies," anyone?
Stripped to its core meaning, a bully is a man or a woman, a boy or a girl, who acts the tough guy or gal against someone weaker. Bullying can be verbal or physical, emotional or psychological. Regardless of how it shows itself, bullying is hurtful and painful to the victim. There have been numerous reported cases of teenagers committing suicide because of bullying.
Those are the reported cases. What about the unreported ones?
The new documentary movie "Bully" arrives at a time of heightened interest and concern about bullying in the United States today. The movie follows a group of five bullied teenagers from different parts of the country. Two of the teens have killed themselves, which means our interactions with them are through photos, videos and the memories of family and friends. One of the teens being bullied is a teenage lesbian coping with that facet of her life. But the child whose bullying is the most affecting to us is 12-year-old Alex.
Alex has victim written all over him. Yes, I'm sure there are some who would say that the kid needs to toughen up, take some martial arts classes, fight back and rage against his abusers. But that's not who Alex is, and that's the key to this film.
The young men and women being assailed and shoved and spit upon are who they are. They are targets because of a reaction about them that sets in among those who bully.
Does Alex really have to change? Or does the bully have to change? A bullied girl brings a pistol to school, which causes a whole rash of problems for her. Is the answer for her to shoot her oppressors, the mean girls found in every middle school and high school? Do bullies sense the cowering fear, the status of loser, the timid sheep-like behavior in the children they bully?
The movie "Bully" is directed by Lee Hirsch, who seems less interested in answers to philosophical questions than in merely recording acts of bullying. We discover that some parents are clueless that their child may be the victim of bullying, that some school administrators are incompetent or turn a blind eye to the pushing and tripping and punching that happens in school hallways, and we recognize that many bullies are very clever at manipulating those around them. Some students see bullies as the cool kids. Hero worship takes on many guises.
"Bully" is an important film, but I wanted more. The point-of-view of the bully is virtually ignored. After a while, you want to shout at the screen, "OK, Hirsch, we get it. Kids are mean. High school's a jungle. Bullies are bad."
The drumbeat of bullying is so unyielding that that there's no subtext. Hirsch shows bullying in all its cruel components. Your heart may very well break for Alex.
But what's the purpose of the movie? Just to showcase bullying? We already know it happens. How about some context? How about some resolution?
And yes, how about some kid smashing in his tormentor's head. I know, I know. This is that entire violence-begets-violence argument. But I'm writing about a movie, not the actual streets. The movie would have been stronger if Hirsch had dug beneath the surface. Bullying is bad, we see that, we get it. In fact, bullying is awful.
But how about a real exploration of bullying? How about examining the roots of it? How about a little depth? How about holding school administrators and parents to some very high standards in interviews? How about the police and how they investigate bullying? Are their hands tied? And what about the computer and its anonymous role in bullying?
Hirsch's "Bully" is good as far as it goes. We watch the bullying and recoil. Some of it is painful. But Hirsch owes his audience a follow-up. The next time around, he needs to turn his camera on the bully. On the bully's parents. And on the schools that ignore the horror show happening in their hallways.
"Footnote" was nominated for best foreign language film at this year's Academy Awards. The Oscar went to "A Separation" from Iran. In "Footnote," writer-director Joseph Cedar has created a very solid dramatic comedy about Eliezer and Uriel Shkolnik, father and son, who are also competing professors in Talmudic Studies.
One day, the men learn that one of them will be praised for their work in studying the Talmud, the vital collection of ancient writings that sets down guidelines for Jewish law, family structures and societal interaction, among many other things relating to the practice of the Hebrew faith.
Because neither man wants the other to have hurt feelings, the news that one of them will be receiving the prominent Israel Prize creates new peaks and valleys in their already complicated relationship. The movie explores the essential elements of a very dynamic situation. If the son earns the prize, will his father be hurt? If it's the father who wins the award, will he feel that he hasn't done the right thing regarding his son's scholarship and intellectual development?
The Talmud is a text that invites intense discussions. People have been known to debate for weeks about the meaning of a single phrase.
"Footnote" may seem like dry subject matter for a movie, but it's anything but. There are hilarious surprises, and sometimes the smart comedy reaches for bombast and succeeds in a very good way.
Director Cedar knows where to focus his attention. He has made a picture with comic heights that also reaches hard for emotional resonance.
Fathers and sons are always an interesting subject for well-made films. The father and son in "Footnote" have a rough-and-tumble friendship rooted in a a respect for intellectualism and a love for each other.
This is a smart movie, but also a very funny one
In metro Buffalo and Western New York, "Bully" is playing at the Amherst Theater. "Footnote" is playing at the Eastern Hills Cinemas and the Amherst Theater.
To contact movie critic Michael Calleri, send an e-mail to michaelcallerimoviesnfr@yahoo.com.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | April 24 2012 |