Never Trust A Junkie

This week’s screening, Sid and Nancy, was a little harder to swallow than the rest. Addiction is such a complex, touchy subject. As prevalent as it is in our society, it still somehow remains a taboo in the sense that it’s not something we necessarily want to see, discuss, or be associated with. Everyone has their own opinions on addiction, on right and wrong, and I feel that we all see it through a different lens. The subject is a little closer to my heart than I care for, so be warned that it may alter the way I interpret the film.

"Sid and Nancy's relationship forever illustrates the worst part of being in love with anyone, which is that people in love can't be reasoned with." — Chuck Klosterman

I’d known the story of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen, but knowing something and seeing it in action are totally different. The toxicity of their co-dependent relationship is prevalent throughout the film, but there’s always a certain degree of toxicity that comes along with addiction; it’s to be expected. You don’t form an addiction to something without that crutch becoming a toxic presence in your life, starting a domino effect that can be nearly impossible to stop. While I don’t by any means think that their relationship should be glorified, I don’t think that its toxicity should invalidate the emotion behind it. Maybe the emotion was genuine, maybe it was fueled by a mutual desire for personal gain, but either way I feel that this representation of dysfunctional love was human. It wasn’t a heartwarming story of someone turning their life around, but rather something raw and real, a depiction of the reality that is so many people’s lives. Regardless of how you view the pair, there’s a devastating sort of beauty in their love, a desperation that draws you in – even though you know nothing good can come of it – and tugs at your heartstrings.

"Cult film viewers have often differentiated themselves from mainstream film viewers and, by extension, mainstream society as a whole via attachment to films expressive of such difference. Bruce Kawin has written of the cult film“as a deviant or radically different picture, embraced by a deviant audience”(1991: 18), while Jancovichet al. have argued that the cult film is formed through a “subcultural ideology” that places films and/or film-makers and/or audiences in opposition to the main-stream (2003a: 1)."

This week’s reading, “Cult Cinema and Drugs” shone some light on the connection between drugs and (you guessed it) cult cinema. I never realized that there was much of a link between the two, but after reading this chapter I understand that drugs can really appeal to a lot of people for a lot of reasons. Much like how music is used to try and connect with certain audiences, drugs are exploited in the same way, hence the development of different categories of drug films. As the chapter says, “[an awareness off] the generation gap and anti-institutional attitudes fed into a burgeoning counter-culture, in which drugs became a symbol of pride and subversion.” I never realized how many films actually go for this approach until I stepped back and looked at it, but I feel like it’s not a surprise that that this topic ties so well into cult cinema. When you consider the appeal of drugs, whether it be to those who use them or those who are curious, there really is a wide variety of subcultures, drug and otherwise, that can be reached through film. I also never really knew that there were movies out there made with the intention of drugs enhancing the experience of watching it, but that sounds about as cult as you can get. Rejecting societal norms, transgression, taboo, celebration to the highest degree – what more could you want?

All in all, this week was pretty enlightening and yet a real downer at the same time. I don’t think that I’ll be watching Sid and Nancy again any time soon, but the impact that it had and the message behind the movie is pretty profound and not likely to be forgotten any time soon.

and, just for feels fun, a look at an interview with the real Sid and Nancy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q14sOl6jWo