Kids (1995)

The 1995 Film "Kids" directed and written by Larry Clark, is a story about an amoral young teenager named Telly, who unknowingly has HIV, and has an addiction with having sex with as many virgins as possible. The film begins where he's convincing a 12 year old girl to have sex with him, and telling her sweet nothings about how he cares about her. After he takes her virginity, he leaves instantly and meets up with his friend Casper. He transforms from seemingly caring and a sensitive person to a dirty immature teenage boy as he brags about how he just added another girl to his "deflowering list". The camera pans the two boys walking down the streets of New York, talking about their plans to find more virgins to sleep with, using vulgar language describing what they fantasize to do to more girls. (Telly is in red and Casper is in white) After the 3 minute dialogue between the two, they patronize an Asian clerk at a convenience store and steal 40 oz beers. They proceed to go meet up with other male drifters in a grungy apartment building, to smoke pot, inhale ether, and drink, while continuing conversing with the other people about their sex lives, and how girls are nothing but objects. In between this scene, emerges another scene of a group of girls hanging out at another apartment, also talking about their sex lives in a rather vulgar manner, but not as vulgar and explicit as what the boys are talking about. The movie switches between both scenes, in a comparison of the two sexes. One of the girls, Jennie, mentions that she had sex only once with Telly, and says that after she lost her virginity to him, he never spoke to her again. She seems a little shy to talk about sex, and implies that she liked Telly. When the film switches back to the apartment where the boys are, Jennie calls and Telly says he's not interested in talking with her. The conversation in each apartment continues, and finally leads to one of the girls, Ruby to say that she and Jennie went to the clinic to get tested the week before and were going to find out the results that day. Afterwards, the boys say to each other, "Yeah STDS don't exist" the camera shows a shot of Telly listening and grinning like a fool, implying that he is carrying one. After the two scenes of the groups of boys and girls talking, Ruby finds out she has no STDS although she had sex with 9 men, but Jennie is HIV positive.The film seems to have a documentary feel to it, because a lot of the dialogues seem improvised. The movie takes place in the course of a day, and primarily focus' on Jennie searching for Telly to tell him that they both have HIV, while Telly engages in scandalous actions. She seems to show up at places where Telly just was, but is too late to catch him. a gang of the boys Telly spends time with This movie gives a glimpse into the lives of recluse teenage boys, suggesting reality. Telly is seen walking around with gangs of other teenage boys, with a few cheaply dressed teenage girls, committing crimes, beating people, flirting, stealing and doing drugs. Jennie seems to be the only "innocent" character, and gradually turns into an emotional mess as the day ensues by drinking. By the end of the night, Jennie finally catches up to Telly, only to find him having sex with another virgin, reminiscent of the beginning scene. "Close the fucking door", he shouts to Jennie without knowing it's her. Without saying anything, Jennie proceeds to cry herself to sleep on the couch, in a living room full of passed out teenagers and beer cans. As the sun rises, Casper rapes Jennie while she's passed out, adding to the over all obscene mood to the movie. There is no resolution, just happenings giving insight to irresponsible teenagers. I feel that it was made to be a wake up call to youths, and not showing much censorship. The films soundtrack consisted of mostly sounds of the city and music playing on the streets, as if a camera man was following these kids without them knowing, adding to the authenticity to the film. The authenticity makes it shocking, and an all in all depressing yet insightful movie.