DAZED AND CONFUSED

US, 1993, 102 minutes, Colour.
Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Sasha Jenson, Michelle Burke, Christine Harnos, Rory Cochrane, Ben Affleck, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Marisa Ribisi, Catherine Avril Morris, Matthew Mc Conaughey, Shawn Andrews, Cole Hauser, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Christin Hinojosa, Parker Posey, Deena Martin, Nicky Katt, Estaban Powell, Jason O. Smith, Mark Vandermeulen, Jeremy Fox, René Zellweger
Directed by Richard Linklater.

Texan Richard Linklater who had worked in various occupations and had not gone to film school, made Slackers at the beginning of the 1990s and received some acclaim. He then wanted to make a high school film and, taking the title from the Led Zeppelin song, he wrote a screenplay involving quite a range of young men and women on the last day of classes in 1976, the bicentenary year.

The film focuses on the group, the senior year and hazing, the freshman and their being pursued, the details of the hazing. It then shows the various interactions, friendships, clashes, punishments. Some of the characters are sympathetic and there is more focus on them, Linklater stating that he altered their performances and presence in the film given the ability or lack of ability of the cast.

There are shenanigans, issues of sports and contracts, smoking pot, pool halls and music, boisterous outside games.

There was a documentary in 2013, well worth looking at, Richard Linklater 21, offering a lot of background to Linklater, his career and talents, his focus on Texas, and details of many of his films including Dazed and Confused.

1. Youth film? High school film? 1976? From the memories of the 1990s?

2. The work of Richard Linklater, his having made Slackers? His second film? The range of his cast and the future careers of the director and the cast?

3. Texas, the 1970s, the range of young men and women, their attitudes, the US at the time of the bicentenary? The perspective of memories from the 90s?

4. The title, the term, from the Led Zeppelin song?

5. The last day of classes, the seniors in the preparation for the hazing? The freshman students? Hunting the men, hitting them? The girls, covered in mustard and other foods? Making them propose?

6. The focus on Mitch, not participating, caught, his friendship with Carl? The pot, Julie, participating in the gatherings, the keg party, the range of friends, going home, his mother waiting for him? Listening to “Slow Ride�?

7. Fred, his character, association with Pink? Their attitudes, punishing?

8. Kevin, the party, the keg party, his parents and permissions?

9. The other characters, Cynthia, Tony, Mike, David Wooderson and his being older? The characters, interactions?

10. Going to the Emporium, the pool hall, the music, the gathering, cruising around the town, the hamburger centre?

11. Playing the game outside, Boisterous, the neighbour with the gun and firing?

12. O’ Bannion, the paint, the revenge?

13. The keg party, the tower and the lights, the meeting, the fights and the punch ups?

14. Pink, the issue of the pledge, his not wanting to do it, wanting to play? The friendship?

15. The end of the night, people going home, some of the pairs, travelling to buy the tickets for the Aerosmith concert?