The
Filth and the Fury (2000)
The rise and fall of the Sex Pistols has already been
documented in one of the most unique and rockus films
ever made, "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" (1980).
Why the director of that film, Julien Temple, decided
to resurrect his own past, and the Pistols is a mystery.
But that's exactly what he does in "The Filth and the
Fury."
I guess "Swindle" is more of a movie about Malcolm
MacLaren, the Pistols swaggering, pompous manager, while
"Filth" is more from the viewpoint of Johnny Rotten
nee Lydon nee Rotten, the Pistols' swaggering, pompous
lead singer. Don't get me wrong, I like Rotten. A lot.
But I like MacLaren too. Can't we all just get along?
Apparently, no we can't. Rotten has no love for MacLaren.
The impresario has almost no screen time in the film.
He is relegated to, maybe, 5 or 6 lines of imput.
Temple tells the story of the Pistols in a rather
typical and chronological narrative arrangement. We
start with the situation in London in the late 70's:
Rampant unemployment, garbage strikes, poverty, and
Glam rock being the order of the day. And then we work
our way through the childhood days of the members of
the band. There are a few interesting stories and some
amusing pictures of the lads as youth, but a book format
seems more well-suited for this. Plus, as the members
narrate the story, while we look at old photographs
and old home movies, we have to really struggle to decipher
their thick British accents. We Yanks can miss a lot
in much of this film.
There is some interesting stuff. Rotten and his cohorts,
who are interviewed separately, are shown in these modern
interviews in silhouette. We never see the aged faces
of Rotten, Glenn Matlock, Paul Cook or Steve Jones.
MacLaren, too, is never shown as he is now. A latex
mask pumped with air appears when he speaks. It's a
nifty little device.
Some old footage, mostly outtakes from "Swindle" one
imagines, finally sees the light of day. Some footage
from a Pistol's film, called "Who Killed Bambi," is
shown. I don't think this film ever saw the light of
day other than as pieces in "Swindle." One particularly
amusing scene shown has the young pop star Sting, before
his glory days, playing a role as a fey thug who, with
his gay boyfriends, successfully de-pants one of the
Pistols in a moving convertible. It's strange stuff.
Also, there's a rather wonderful and lucid interview
with Vicious that is quite marvellous. Watching Vicious
cavort around shirtless or in his undies has always
been one of my favorite parts of Pistol's lore. Sid
seems to be the only member who understood how important
sex was to stardom. But here, in these interview segments,
the real Sid comes out and shines. He was not just a
pretty pimply face or a naked chest shimmering with
sweat and spit and blood. Vicious did have an intelligence
and an overwhelming charm. It makes his story all the
more mournful.
There is also a scene, late in the film, where Rotten
breaks down while talking about Vicious. It's an amazing
moment, one that Rotten does not sell, so it makes it
all the more real. I suppose Johnny has taken a lot
of abuse for not "saving" Sid over the years, a ridiculous
charge which cannot stick. "I was too young," Rotten
says. We all were.
"The Filth and the Fury" is the story of the Pistols
told honestly and with integrity. I suppose it was time
to strip away all the bullshit and get to the heart
of the story, to tell it as it really was. But demystifying
the Pistols somehow only makes them lose their luster.
However, nothing can take the unrelenting grimy polish
off of their songs. Still naked and crunchy and full
of bravado and angst, the Pistol's songs underscore
this film at almost every turn. This is what the Pistols
were really all about. The music. and the voice. Ideas
and rebellion.
More than anything I just wanted to get up at the
front of the theater and pogo my heart out, right there
in front of the screen, in front of the world.
Notes:
Uses scenes from an old production of "Richard III"
to liken that Shakespeare story to the Pistols. It's
an overused device in the film.
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