Rent Scum (1979)

The Better Version. - Scum review by Steve

Clarke earned a reputation for making violent and uncompromising dramas for the BBC, and when his Play for Today version of this story was shelved by the broadcaster, he and writer Roy Minton made an even more brutal cinema version. Scum is the best prison drama the UK (probably any country) has ever made, and that includes the many POW films. It is a sensational exposure of the British borstals of that period, soon to be abolished. The story centres around two offenders' fight for the supremacy of their part of the system, to be the 'daddy'. A battle ultimately won by Ray Winstone's Carlin. These prisons socialise the inmates to conform with the prevailing culture, but the values they learn to adhere to, are utterly insane. No one survives. The institution and the sentences are incidental to the real savagery of the experience; these boys brutalise each other. The rape and subsequent suicide of one of the characters is particularly harrowing. This is a film where the lack of budget actually enhances the look of the drama. All is grim, and hostile, and malign. 

Young winston - Scum review by PT

This is the film that guaranteed Ray Winston the stardom he now has. Winston plays young offender Carling who wants to do his bird keeping his head down. The Daddy of the joint will not let Carling do his time hassle free though, which prompts Carling to take another path to survive the violent regime.

A harrowing portrayal of borstal life and a great performance from the young Winston. If you've been living on Mars, or you're too young to have seen it when it was first released, I would definitely recommend it.

Tough, Uncomfortable British Prison Drama - Scum review by GI

Alan Clarke's uncompromising portrayal of life in Britain's youth prisons remains powerful, disturbing and controversial. There's an interesting history to this film. First made by Clarke in 1977 for the BBC who promptly banned it and it was never aired. Unfazed Clarke immediately set about getting funding and remade the film almost scene by scene (and with some slight changes in cast) for a cinema release in 1979. Incidentally the BBC version wasn't shown for another fifteen years. Ray Winstone stars as Carlin, a convicted criminal sent to a borstal and he comes with a reputation for violence. But Carlin is committed to keeping his head down and staying out of trouble. But the harsh regime is dominated by violence from the prison officers who allow favoured inmates to control the wings for them. Petty punishments and deliberate suppression of free thought are all overseen by a religious Governor and eventually this pushes Carlin back to taking control through extreme violence. This is a tough watch, scenes of rape and suicide are explicit and the racism is very uncomfortable and even the cinema version was banned for release on videocassette in the UK during the 80s. Debate rages today about the authenticity of what is depicted here but Clarke, who made several controversial films attacking UK Government policies and systems, is clearly attempting to highlight the uselessness of a prison system based on punishment alone. A remarkable film and definitely one to check out if you've never seen it and if by some chance you believe that this shows a youth prison system that we should return to I'm afraid you're sorely mistaken.