Tribeca Cinemas

Delinquents Doing Drugs on the Big Screen

It’s obvious there is an ongoing trend in current movies that involves the idealism of juvenile corruption and rule-breaking. The whole “feels good to be bad” mentality seems to be the focus in these movies in which retired Disney and ABC Family stars engage in R-rated activities from partaking in threesomes with hustlers in pools to stealing Porsches off Sunset Boulevard. From drugs to burglary, movies like Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers and Sofia Coppola’s Bling Ring glamorize the wrongdoings of teenagers. Even the not-so-recent films like Thirteen and Trainspotting glamorize crime committed by minors and though some of these films intend to provide an overall moral message, so much in these movies idealize drug culture that they fail to do so.

Rather than the actual screenplay of these films, the cinematography and editing are the features that glorify such scandal in these high-schoolers. Sofia Coppola directed Bling Ring in a way that painted the members of the “Bling Ring” specifically leading retired Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, as glamorous and beautiful socialites despite their lack of any common sense or self-awareness. Though Coppola intended to mock the fame-obsessed girls who are clearly oblivious to all aspects of reality, her direction on camera as they are provocatively filmed snorting cocaine in bathrooms whilst uploading “selfies” of them dancing at exclusive clubs in Hollywood, praises their delinquency.

Though Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers ridiculed the outrageousness of college students on “spring break,” the film by depicting teenagers doing drugs in fact tempts teenagers who watch the film to actually do drugs. By specifically casting Disney Channel stars Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens, Korine is targeting their youthful fan base. In addition to the cast of teenage celebrities, Korine asked electronic music producer Skrillex to compose the entire soundtrack. Skrillex is notoriously known for his absurd dubstep sound that attracts huge following of young people. The choice of slow-motion cinematography of naked college students pouring beer on themselves in the very first scene of his movie edited perfectly with Skrillex’s most popular song “Scary Monsters on Strings” as hilariously shocking and almost horrendous as it is, idealizes the bad behavior that comes with “spring break.”

As predicted, the films welcomed a huge box office success. Along with ticket sales, the films’ merchandise and other movie memorabilia are also sold in local stores such as Urban Outfitters and Opening Ceremony. David Lipke in his piece “Girls Gone Styled” of the Spring Breakers clothing line, states “the designs are adorned with graphics like pot leaves, dripping ice cream cones and the indelicate acronym DTF.” Therefore, not only are we exposed to the delinquent drug-using and bling-abusing scenes on the big screen, but also on the streets as teenagers strut by wearing “DTF” sweatpants. It seems as if such films that spotlight on scandalous teenagers breaking the rules generate a cult of budding adults. Now if we can only predict how many teenagers will be decked out in pink unicorn ski masks for Halloween this year!