Until the prison system was reformed in the eighties, teenage boys who were too young to go to prison were sent to a borstal, sometimes for quite trivial offences. ( I have a friend who was given two years borstal in one of the most notorious institutions, where brutality and sexual abuse were rife, for attacking a violent teacher).Scum is an accurate portrayal of these institutions, where the wardens were brutal and embittered older men, where any attempt at rehabilitation was very limited( mostly the inmates do manual labour or PE), and true to its time, racist comments and violence were common and a black inmate has to endure constant racist abuse and assaults. Memorable scenes in Scum are the main character, played brilliantly by Ray Winstone, attacking another inmate with snooker balls hidden in a sock, a basketball game that turns into a racist fight, and a horrific scene of male rape in a potting shed where the victim commits suicide afterwards.I'd recommend Scum to anyone who wants to see what the borstal system was like in the seventies, and as a commentary on the time where racism was far more prevalent and violent youth cults like skinheads were popular.

Director Alan Clarke originally made this as a television movie commissioned by the BBC. But they took exception to the incredible intensity of the subject matter, especially the way that the camera never flinches or cuts away from such horrors as suicide, rape, and racism. Clarke refashioned the story (written by Roy Minton) as a theatrical feature two years later, and made it angrier than ever, a scathing indictment of the treatment of juvenile offenders in this setting.And that setting is a "borstal", or British reform school. Minton relates what happens from day to day as the staff go about their business of dominating their charges without ever bothering to really take an interest in them or understand them. One of the newest arrivals is a youth named Carlin (Ray Winstone, just 22 at the time), and Carlin is threatened by the big fish of the joint, or "Daddy", named Banks (John Blundell).Our young protagonists may not be little angels, but they generate sufficient sympathy as we see what they are forced to experience. This particular borstal is quite the oppressive environment, and the staff, by and large, are very cold individuals. They really don't like their charges to show too much spirit, so one of the biggest thorns in their sides is self-styled individual Archer (Mick Ford, delivering a commanding performance). Among other things, he's an atheist and a vegetarian, and takes the latter seriously enough that he walks around barefoot, rather than wearing any sort of leather on his feet. Archer is this viewers' favorite character.Winstone does a creditable job in the lead, all the way through his characters' arc. Julian Firth (as the very unfortunate Davis), Phil Daniels, John Judd, Philip Jackson, Peter Howell, and P.H. Moriarty round out this exemplary cast."Scum" isn't a particularly revelatory film, but it is quite sobering and offers some provocative entertainment. It's not hard to see why it would have a cult following.Seven out of 10.

This is a raw, pull no punches, depressive flick, about what happens when you're a juvenile offender, and your put into a borstal, a juvenile British jail, much like a real jail, where you have a bunch of thugs, their leader known as a daddy. If juvenile offenders under 18 saw this, for some, it might change their mind about re-offending. Let me warn you, in this prison, some of the prisoners are real nasty pieces of work, as are most of the staff, who won't tolerate any slack behaviour or stepping out of line. One ba..ard of staff, in particular, lets a rape go on in a glass house. Later, that victim slashes his wrist, with a razor, blood seeping through the sheets. He does this after numerously ringing a bell, for a staff member to answer, for which he just gets barked back at, by one, retorting with zero compassion. This film is depressingly dim. In fact, it's one of the most depressing, and uncompromising ones I've ever seen. The female matron, comes as a well of relief, a woman of actual compassion, but again, one not to be played for an idiot. A repeat offender, a very young Winstone, carrying a rep, is one of the new fish. Within weeks of taking beatings, threats of humiliation, and being uptripped by a thug trio, sometimes that same a...hole screw, who takes it's personal with Winstone, he takes over as the new daddy, putting the former one on ice for a moment, in a slick attack involving a sock and some snooker balls. Winstone has that same powerful angry look we've seen in other films, before delivering inevitable cursing dialogue. He has a talent as being one of the best actors to play angry, but look threatening too. Mick Ford was my favourite juvie, the smug and rebellious Archer, who won't eat meat, or wear shoes, just to p..s off the screws. How he defends himself to Winstone, about this, providing one great sentence of dialogue, that has you asking "Did I hear that right"? The best scene has him overstepping his mark with one of the more lenient of staff, who offers him a coffee, while all the other juvies are in chapel. He quickly sets him straight again, before punishing him. Like I said, this film pulls no punches. It's a stark piece of filmmaking, that should be witnessed, it's dim, and none too optimistic end, just as merciless as the rest of the film, in the wake of a death of a fellow juvie, a remorselessness that's sick, as is the last faux line used, by the warden, that doesn't let you forget the strict regime of this institution, where doing the right thing, has never been more exemplified, or inferred.

This is with out doubt an all time British classic,this was a really good film a young Ray shines. if you haven't seen Nill by mouth i recommend that to, sorry its short but this is my first review and i am getting used to the site rules i would give this 8 out of 10. Another good film is Gangster # one.or the Essex boy's with Sean bean. or Charlie with Luke gos.all in all this is one of the best films i have ever seen.this is real British drama at its best.if you know of any better please let me know. i would love to see them .