Pariah

I saw Pariah on television and I thought it was a TV-movie made in the early 90s. I was quite shocked to then discover that it had been made a recently as 1998, after both American History X (AHX) and Romper Stomper. Had it have been made earlier I would have forgiven its amateurish feel and, to be frank, embarrassing handling of the plot and story line.

A good way of seeing how ineffective this movie is, is to compare it with the things it is trying to emulate. The story itself (for those unaware) is lifted directly from The Crow by J O'Barr. If you want to see the same plot idea handled in an incredibly powerful, subtle and truly masterful way then read the comic (not the film). I'd class Pariah's handling of the neo-Nazi aspect as being more like Romper Stomper in the way it superficially deals with the matter. However Romper Stomper does it so much better.

To focus on the movie itself, it's all very poor. The acting is poor, the scripts are poor, the directing poor....the whole thing is just poor. Some scenes had me flinching with embarrassment they were so bad. Despite the fact that I'm slating it, I still gave it 4/10. If it's on television and you have nothing better to do then watch it, it'll pass the time, it's not *that* bad. But if you enjoy the violent neo-Nazi romanticising movie then watch Romper Stomper as it's better. If you enjoy the revenge theme then read (or, to a lesser extent, watch) The Crow. I don't really want to draw any comparisons with AHX as that movie is in a different league and is one of my all-time favourite movies. AHX is the thinking man's Romper Stomper....I wouldn't even want to say what AHX is in relation to Pariah.

Lets be serious--it doesn't take a great director to make nazi skinheads look bad, and Pariah is a perfect example of this at work. It presents a very narrow view of racism, which connects only to a very narrow audience--those who are "in" the scene, etc. There were way too many overt plot details that could have been assumed or more subtly presented. I'd say see this if you want an exagerated, easy to digest film about nazi skinheads, but not if you want to get any new, smart, disturbing insight into the problems of racism and violence in youth subcultures.

This movie should be treated as a pariah for anyone in search of entertainment. It looks as though the whole thing has been thrown together in the space of a couple of days by a bunch of film students to cash in on the success of American History X.

I have read all the bad reviews about this movie, and I have to agree with most of what has been said. It is true that the film is just plain ugly to look at, and the over-acting is sometimes embarrassing. But perhaps the critics are being a bit unfair by measuring it next to films like "American History X" and "Romper Stomper". If you put it next to a highly-produced Hollywood film like A.H.X, then sure this one will look sick in comparison. Or if you put it next to a truly fantastic piece of cinema like "Romper Stomper", a film that actually played in art house cinemas around the world, it just isn't fair. The only thing these films have in common is their subject matter: skinheads. Period. Pariah lacks the artistic merits of these "legitimate" films. But when looked at in the "trash film" context, then this one becomes at least entertaining. Perhaps watch this one in the same way that you would watch "Toxic Avenger", or "Shaft", or "Class of 1984" etc.. Of course the way they portray skinheads in this movie is nauseating, offensive, and highly inaccurate. But lets face it; there are so few films made about the punk and skinhead scene, that when something comes along, we just have to see it. Anyway, look at the way punks are portrayed in "Class of 1984". Murderous criminals! But like Pariah, that flick is good for a laugh. In short, look at this one while you're hanging out and drinking with friends. You have to admit, this trash film does deliver the goods when it comes to violence. It is stomach-turning in some places. And if you want to see a good, thought-provoking film about skinheads, see "Luna Park", the one about the Russian skinheads. But don't expect a lot of action there. By the way, remember "Skinheads: Second Coming of Hate" with Chuck Conners?? Now there is a classic. "Pariah" is almost good compared to that one! A.C.A.B.

Pariah is not a bad film. It has as its main good points a nice set of strong performances and an interesting plot. On the other hand, it is a very low budget, bad directed film with a very cheapish look and fell. Watch it at your own risk.