Cinerant

Postmodern Havoc

One of the dangers of living in a media-saturated society is the difficulty of being able to distinguish reality from non-reality.  As a child growing up, my brother and I attempted things that were in no way acceptable—like trying to hang up, catapult one another from a see-saw—because we saw them on television and thought they were things to do.  

As media interactive becomes more and more prominent, reaching out to younger and younger youth, the lines between reality and fiction become increasingly difficult to determine.  As I peruse through My Space, I’m constantly amazed at the number of teenagers that use the various media as ways to create a sense of identity.  Creating false identities, trying to immerse themselves in cultures and identities not their own, but are deemed “en vogue” because of their trend-setting style or cover percentage, allows them to build self-esteem and feel “cool.”

This is what I kept thinking of as I was watching Barbara Koppel’s fiction-helming debut, Havoc.  The film, written by Stephen Gaghan, is about two wealthy SoCal girls who venture into east LA, invading Latino gang territory in an effort to discover something “real.”  They experiment with drugs , sex, and violence, curious to see what they’re like.  The cautionary tale is dark and cautionary, but the whole time I couldn’t help but think how realistic the movie probably is.  It’s an eye-opening little film that probably would have an impact on teenagers who saw it.  Unfortunately, the sexuality and language are so intense, as well as there are no name stars in it, so there probably won’t be that many to see it.

posted by cinegod @ 1:37 PM