tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149411832127844385.post7789449346502566263..comments2024-03-22T14:34:39.101-04:00Comments on MONDO 70: A Wild World of Cinema: YOUNG, VIOLENT, DANGEROUS (Liberi, Armati, Pericolosi, 1976)Samuel Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149411832127844385.post-84603653157402846392012-05-13T00:04:55.670-04:002012-05-13T00:04:55.670-04:00There was also a trend of this sort of violence ta...There was also a trend of this sort of violence taking place in Italy at the time with young delinquents-rich or poor-raising a lot of hell and committing crimes. There were a handful of movies built around this concept. Most of the time, the young savages came from wealthy family's whose parents seemingly abandoned them so as to maintain a strong financial center leaving the children to "get attention" in other ways. Two of the nastiest examples being VIOLENCE FOR KICKS and DAYS OF VIOLENCE. Guerrieri's film is the best of this sub genre I've seen.venoms5https://www.blogger.com/profile/13655919099947763891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149411832127844385.post-18514575348112547192012-05-02T13:57:58.690-04:002012-05-02T13:57:58.690-04:00In incidentally taking a leftist reading of YOUNG ...In incidentally taking a leftist reading of YOUNG VIOLENT I took as my starting point the social class of the protagonists and worked forward from there. Since this is exploitation cinema and no doubt rushed out to exploit both topical themes and markets I cannot accept that everything on screen is co-incidental, as genre directors who time and again play things down where it comes to themes and so on make a point of making our nihilist robbers as rich kids.Nigel Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928346913206094978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149411832127844385.post-61672436820395675432012-05-02T13:52:21.446-04:002012-05-02T13:52:21.446-04:00Kidnap syndicate is worth the time but many of the...Kidnap syndicate is worth the time but many of the same obsessions rear their head again, particularly on the (utilitarian) value of life. The son of a poor mechanic is kidnapped (accidentally) the same time as the son of an industrialist. While of course this set up lends itself to class based cheap shots (and they are present) there are some interesting questions regarding motivation. James Mason, the rich industrialist, always wins, he is used to winning and risking all to win- but this raises the question of what value the child of a poor mechanic. Sure there can be sympathy for mason, after all what parent would put the life of the child of another before that of their own child? It is where it appears that Mason is very much into this whole alpha male thing it becomes a little more tricky- he will risk the life of someone elses child to save face, to appear strong. This of course is unforgivable. <br /><br />I suppose we are more familiar in Eurocrime with villains treating working people as disposable- a number of times hostages are thrown from moving cars to disrupt police. I suppose for left leaning directors it was only a matter of time where this was given a wider class element. Especially where marxists see labour as commodified anyhow. <br /><br />That said, as with this film, Kidnap Syndicate is not without its problems and suffers from uninspired direction and is pretty flat, even by DiLeo standards.Nigel Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928346913206094978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149411832127844385.post-72481425470109001132012-05-02T12:01:08.001-04:002012-05-02T12:01:08.001-04:00Interesting reading, Nigel. I know of Di Leo's...Interesting reading, Nigel. I know of Di Leo's leftist leanings, but not about Guerrieri. A leftist reading is definitely possible, though the movie isn't overtly leftist and most people watching would probably accept "kicks" as a motive without going deeper than that. Your interpretation does explain why Joe yells ad slogans as well as movie titles, and you definitely have me interested in seeing Kidnap Syndicate. Thanks for writing.Samuel Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149411832127844385.post-62822000280036280532012-05-01T15:07:02.708-04:002012-05-01T15:07:02.708-04:00My reading of it all is about commodification of h...My reading of it all is about commodification of human life and thoroughly Marxian take on this. The rich kids rob because they can, insofar as they recognise law at all it is a law that protects privilege. <br /><br />Aside from this they consume commodities in order to enjoy themselves. They do this in just the same way as I might consume a pie- I own the pie I consume the pie. In a world where working people are too commodities then if I were one of these rich kids then I can consume those- it is a form of conspicuous consumption. Just as the wealthy parade fine furs and diamonds or possess artworks and cars that are beyond the reach of the masses so not everyone is in a position to do this. Not everyone has the sense of entitlement to be able to consume human life for kicks.<br /><br />So their motives could be boredom or merely to show-off amongst their peers, but this is a form of consumption of the human commodity. In this sense little different from slavery or when unprotected workers are sent into the site of a nuclear event- either in the case of the bomb tests in the US or the cleaning up of Chernobyl during the days of the USSR. In neither case is human life consumed without purpose- but it suggests commodified life is cheap and supply exceeds demand. I would suggest this is the message of Young Violent and Dangerous. In a world where life has become cheapened by commodification it exists solely to be disposed of for the purpose of entertainment, and belongings can be appropriated- after all, what use are the trinkets and hard worked for finery of the proletarian.<br /><br />I similar message is central incidentally to Kidnap Syndicate, where the lives of the children of others can be incidental and sacrificed on the altar of making a point.<br /><br />Both films are extremely radical in their political posture.Nigel Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928346913206094978noreply@blogger.com