The
Doom Generation (1995)
Writer/Director
Gregg Araki's 3rd film is the quintessential embodiment
of teen angst captured on celluloid in full living color.
It is a film about life in America circa 1995. It's
is full of honesty, emotion, anger and eroticism. No
other film goes where this one goes. No other film has
the courage, conviction, insight or integrity to say
what this one says. It is a film not to be missed.
Critics might easily dismiss this film as a sort-of
rip- off of Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers," but
they would be so wrong in that association. Araki's
film centers on a trio of young people that evolves
from the coupling of Jordan (James Duval) and Amy (Rose
McGowan). The film opens with McGowan saying "Fuck"
and then dives ever-so-swiftly into it's nightmare vision
of life in hell (i.e. on earth circa 1995). Jordan and
Amy are a rather impotent couple, she with her constant
foul-mouthed bitching (trying to appear cool) and he
with his angst about getting AIDS, until they are joined
by the charismatic Xavier (Jonathan Schacch), dubbed
"X" by Jordan. Once on the scene, X magically transforms
their reality into a viable existence by introducing
violence, daring-do, sexuality, eroticism, autoeroticism,
and homoeroticism into their lives. (This despite Araki's
claim, at the beginning of the movie, that this is a
"heterosexual film"). Schacch is so charming and so
sexual that his presence might overwhelm the duo. But
instead, it only further enhances their personalities
and makes them complete, whole people. His presence
almost immediately allows the two to copulate, which
had not worked before, and then to shine as real human
beings. Amy's bitching becomes female dominance and
independence as she begins a sexual relationship with
both of these males. While surely dominate (and always
on top) with Jordan, she is more feminine and submissive
with X. The later's coupling becoming more traditionally
male/female. She becomes more likable and more interesting.
She loosens up and starts to see the value of her existence.
She blooms.
Meanwhile, Jordan also evolves. His sweetness, easily
mistaken for idiocy, becomes more pure and more honest
and the underlying sexual tension between he and X radiates
with a brilliance rarely seen between two males on screen.
Araki frustrates us throughout with this underlying
tension and makes us truly believe that it may never
be consummated on screen.
The
plot of the film might seem totally contrived if Araki
did not infuse it with so much subtle humor and so much
sparkling dialogue. Plus, he propels the 83 minutes
film at a whirlwind pace. Never once allowing the piece
to become boring, maudlin, saccharine or silly. The
bright colors and low-budget appearance of his prior
films again help his work here. The film is visually
stunning and yet there is so much substance and such
bright dialogue in the film that it might succeed even
with bad characters and acting. Luckily, Araki doesn't
have to sacrifice here. His characters have more depth
and insight than any placed on screen in recent memory
and his actors have so much boundless chemistry popping
between them that the film almost explodes off of the
screen.
Araki also fills the film with marvelous things to look
at. His heightened use of color remains from his previous
films with the greens greener and the reds redder than
ever before. He also continues his penchant for placing
large photographs and posters in his sets as backdrops.
But Araki furthers this effort here by also adding large
"slogan" posters in almost every set echoing the "Big
Brother is Watching You" ideal of "1984." Here, the
characters, and viewers, are told to "Obey" and "Pray"
plus they are reminded that "Shoplifters Will be Executed"
and "The Rapture is Coming."
In addition to this, Araki practically makes a joke
out of the number 666. Whenever anyone in the group
buys anything, the total is always $6.66. Araki also
uses it visually in the film as addresses and in other
ways as well.
Araki has a message too, which might seem a rather subtle
and typical one at first glance. Assistance in discussing
his moral is found by using his end credits which list
the main trio's full names as Jordan White, Amy Blue,
and Xavier Red. They are true Americans, pure and innocent.
The live by the American ideal that we all deserve life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In contrast, the
trio of Nazi zealots characters that eventually invade
their utopian existence, under the guise of righteousness,
are credited as George, Dan and Pat. In Araki's vision,
the world is hell and the trio carve out a piece of
heaven in it by joining together to save their skins.
Like the original colonists, they come together to find
a meaning in life. They begin to find truth and reality
only within their own microcosm of unity. But angels
of opposition appear at almost every turn threatening
their paradise with mistaken identity and right-wing
rhetoric. If someone does not simply want them sexually,
they want to bring them over to their side dogmatically
- or they just simply want to annihilate them. The trio
travels ever-forward through life (this is a road picture)
and, just when they are about to consummate their unity
- to reach nirvana - they are stricken down by the forces
of evil (who, of course, consider themselves the forces
of good). And, as in life, Araki's film has the most
innocent taking the brunt of this irrational ire.
This
film has a religious parallel as well as this seemingly
"patriotic" one. The constant reminders of "666" and
Hell lead us to believe that the characters are in the
netherworld. The film even begins with a burning sign
that says "Welcome to Hell." Is Araki claiming that
life on earth is hell? One of his characters even has
an altar on her dashboard where Jesus looks down upon
the riders. Likewise, another character wears a Ministry
t-shirt. However, this film is not some sort of re-working
of the Bible or some sort of righteous left-wing morality
play. Rather, it is a look at the world through a human's
eyes, a rather young human at that. The film might even
seem sophomoric at times, but only in the best sense
of the word. It has a purity, an honest and a poetic
quality that one rarely finds in films today. In effect,
the film might considered a Hedonist's manifesto. For
in this film when the angel, the Christ-like figure.
is crucified, it's sexual organ is disfigured. In the
end, an innocent has their eyes open and another, much
more wise and in-tune, continues on the voyage with
them, as if this more knowledgeable one was an angel,
a guardian (a Christ?), sent to assist through the trials.
Finally, at the last scene, this more wise human insists
on continuing this hedonistic ideal. The other, the
virgin, newly born into this new ideal, is still reeling
from all that has been gleaned.
"The
Doom Generation" is a remarkable film. It takes us on
a journey deep within ourselves. It shows us America
as it truly is. And Araki's stylized manner only serves
to punctuate this. This film reminds us of what America
is supposed to be - and also shows us what it has, instead,
become. The film cries out painfully for tolerance,
honesty, emotion and acceptance. It screams at us. But
not with a voice of anger - or a voice of defeat. It
screams at us with a voice of love, of acceptance, of
triumph. "The Doom Generation" is the cinematic manifesto
for the next millennium.
Note: With cameos from Perry Farrell, Skinny Puppy,
Margaret Cho, Heidi Fliess, Lauren Tewes, Chrostopher
Knight, Amanda Bearse, and Parker Posey.
Director
of Photography is Jim Fealy. Production Designer is
Therese Deprez.
End titles claim the film was "Photographed on location
in Hell."
Pop songs by Nine Inch Nails, Babyland, Front 242, God
Lives Underwater, Lush, Belly, Ride, Slowdive, Love
and Rockets, Curve, Wolfgang Press, MC 900 Foot Jesus,
Jesus and Mary Chain, Meat Beat Manifesto, Aphex Twins,
Cocteau Twins, Medicine and others are included in the
film.
The Smiths, Thrill Kill Cult and This Mortal Coil are
mentioned. A character wears a Ministry t-shirt.
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