The Decline of Western Civilization Part III
(1998)
Directed by: Penelope
Spheeris.
The first
two films in The Decline of Western Civilization trilogy became legendary, and
almost impossible to see for a long time, then the third in the trilogy became
even harder to see, but nowhere near as legendary. The film played the festival
circuit back in 1998 – and then kind of disappeared, no real distribution of
any kind. In a way, it’s easy to see why no one picked it up. Unlike the first
two films, it’s only tangentially about music at all. The inspiration for Penelope
Spheeris to revisit this world seems to be the re-emergence of punk in the mid-1990s.
Bands like Green Day and The Offspring may not have been hardcore like the
bands in the first film – but they became huge. But this time, Spheeris
concentrates almost exclusively on the fans – sure, some of them are in punk
bands, but not ones anyone has ever heard of – even two decades later. This is
a film about the people who really do live on the margins – squatting in
abandoned buildings, sleeping in cars, etc. – their lives a mixture of
drinking, drugging, partying, violence and poverty. It is a grim film – one without
much hope. When you get to the end, and find out that one of the main figures
in the movie has been killed – and another one has been charged with the murder
– you are not surprised, just saddened.
The film
acknowledges its roots in its opening moments – asking the interview subjects
if they had ever seen the original film. Many of them have – although they then
acknowledge that they were only 1 or 2 when it came out – if they were born at
all. This works to make Spheeris seem more on an elder statesman this time around
– perhaps even a parental figure. She is concerned for these kids – as a parent
would be – but also realizes she is powerless to stop them heading down the
path they are going to inevitably go down anyway.
But
mostly, Spheeris lets you draw your own conclusions about the differences
between this group of punks – known as gutterpunks – and the group she filmed
nearly two decades before for the first film. In the original, those kids were
angry of course – but also determined. They poured themselves into their music –
and even if they never made it big – never wanted to, they left a mark. This
group seems more fragmentary – more isolated. They come together, sure, but
there isn’t quite the sense of community there once was. These people are
loners- and forever on the outside. They’re never going to get even the fame as
the groups in the first film – and they’re barely even trying. They are too
poor for that – and don’t have the ambition.
All of
this probably makes it sound like this is a depressing film. It isn’t really.
It is a sad film – I can only imagine where the last two decades have left most
of the people in the film. And yet, at this time, they are young, dumb and
hedonistic, and while Spheeris clearly has concern for them, she also doesn’t look
down on them. She allows their dark, gallows humor to come through. They kids
are nihilistic and dark – but they somehow manage to, if not smile through it
all, at least accept it – and take what joy they can from it.
In a way,
this is a proper way to end this trilogy. The first film was about these
legendary punks bands – they may never have become super famous, but many of
them went on to have long, influential careers. They didn’t become huge – but they
did what they wanted. The second film is all about the excesses of rock – how
the metal bands embraced that excess, and how its fans and wannabes want to.
This last film is about the lowest rung of this ladder. These aren’t even
wannabes really – they’re just holding on. They are punks almost by necessity –
what else are they going to be.
The film
that Spheeris has made here is funny and sad, gross and comical. And it ends,
as is inevitable, in tragedy – because of course it does. This film doesn’t have
the hook of the legendary punk bands of the first film, or the excessive idiocy
of the second film. And yet, it may just stick in your head a little bit longer
than either of the other films.
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