BORN BAD
US, 1997, 80 minutes, Colour.
James Remar, Justin Walker, Ryan Francis, Corey Feldman.
Directed by Jeff Yonis.
Born Bad is a short movie about a bank robbery gone wrong. It focuses on a group of teenagers, misfits in the town. The rather fat stepson of the bank president, trying to be in with the group, offers them plans of the bank and they undertake the robbery. One of them is against violence but, wanting to go to college to study art, agrees to be the customer decoy. The police arrive early, the getaway car leaves, the group is trapped in the bank, a guard is shot in panic. The film focuses then on the dealings of the group within themselves, with the local sheriff, with the FBI. There are some rather violent sequences, especially with the women victims. However, the overall film tries to show the desperation of the group - in the American violent tradition.
1.The title of the film? Were the characters born bad? Their natures, the environment, lack of opportunity?
2.The small town, the group, homes, the bank? The police? The musical score?
3.The short running time, the introduction to the characters, the plan, the execution, things going wrong, disaster?
4.The focus on Brian: his father wanting him to have the job, the boots? His resentment towards his parents? Wanting to sketch, the letter to go to college? Being in with the group? Stealing beer but not wanting to rob? The appeal to the bank about the loan for college? His decision to be in, his being the decoy? Participating in the preparation, shooting practice? Rehearsals? In the bank, coughing, stopping the guard shooting? His becoming the negotiator, taking a hard stance with the sheriff? Lying? With Craig, with Laura? His trying to save the people? His emptying the gun, Craig turning against him? The fight? Helping the woman to be saved from rape? His mother pleading, his going away in the police car? His future?
5.The opening with the group stealing the beer from the shop, getting away with it? Evan admiring them? His resentment against his stepfather? Offering of the plan, their ridicule, change of attitude, saying they had nothing to lose?
6.Craig, leadership, relationship with Laura. Craig and his plan, lack of plan, violence, brutality towards Laura, the apology, brutality towards Brian? The putting out of the body of the guard? The plan to kill hostages? The plan for the helicopter? The final shooting?
7. The sheriff, wise, humane in dealing with the group, shrewd? Antagonism towards the FBI agent? His handling of the situation? The contrast with the FBI agent, coming in, assertive? His disguise and trying to get information from Marco? The sheriff coaching him to be more humane?
8. Laura, hanging out with the group, participating in the robbery? Craig turning against her, emptying the gun at Brian's advice, being put in the vault? Her escaping with the money?
9. Bullet: violence, lack of intelligence, Rambo, love of guns, the shooting practice, shooting the guard? The attempted rape? Brian shooting him?
10. Evan, the outsider fat boy, wanting to be with the group, giving the plans, panic with the codes, holding a gun on the hostages, getting the water, being persuaded by the girl to change sides, the phone and being in the vault? His being shot?
11. Marco, the getaway car, his leaving, the phone call, coming back, the gun to his head, being arrested, the interview with the FBI agent?
12. The hostages, the guard and his heroism and being shot? The claustrophobic man? The manager? The women, the attempted rape, the guillotining of the fingers and the brutality? Craig and his attitude towards them, numbers to be chosen for being shot? The behaviour of hostages in such a situation?
13. A portrait of small-town hoods, peer pressure, greed, hopelessness? The robbery, the ending in disaster?
