My College years (from 1997-2002 if you were wondering) were a very formative time for me as far as my movie-going tastes went. In lieu of actually doing homework, hours were spent either playing Goldeneye on N64 or watching movies, and I watched a lot of movies. I was the guy in the dorm that the rest of the guys in my hallway went to when they were looking for a film for the evening. I even considered starting my own rental system, but really I’m much too lazy for that.
At any rate, with all this time on my hands, this is where I discovered a lot of the film makers that would influence my specific tastes. The Usual Suspects and Braveheart were personal favorites at the time, as well as getting around to really finding out what was so special about John Woo and Kurosawa. One of the most important personal discoveries at the time was Kevin Smith.
It’s hard to explain my reaction to Kevin Smith’s movies. I mean I loved them, but it seemed more than just that. Here was a film maker who was speaking very much to guys like me. I mean Tarantino made kitschy references in his films, but Smith talked about Star Wars and Superman. He had lines from Tombstone and Temple of Doom in his films. His heroes weren’t commandoes or hitmen, they were convenient store clerks and register jockeys who worked in video stores. Hell, I was working in a comic book store and then at Wal-Mart so these were guys I totally identified with. Even Chasing Amy’s minor celebrities were all geeks. Smith’s characters speak and dress like I do (except for some of the HORRIBLE Jersey fashions on display in Clerks).
Well with the newest and I’m guessing the last (though I also said that after the last one) film in this series hitting theaters, I thought it was time to take a trek through Smith’s initial star making film. Even now, this thing is a miracle of independent film making and one of the best films of the previous decade. Is it necessarily Bad Ass? Well, there’s enough talk of Jedis in the movie that I’m going to allow it. So without further ado…
Clerks Starring Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonhauer, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith. Directed by Kevin Smith.
It’s going to be a bit difficult to go into great detail about the film or in particular its dialogue without a lot of expletives, but I’m going to try (Hey, I run a really classy column over here). Going over the normal things that occur in film is rather moot when it comes to Clerks. Plot, acting, and other such considerations really go out the window. The film is shot entirely in grainy black and white on a myriad of inexpensive looking sets including, The Quick Stop Grocery and RST Video that Smith happened to work at in that point in his life, and a funeral home that they could only shoot from the outside because they couldn’t get permission to shoot inside.
The film simply follows two clerks, Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson) who work at these stores throughout a day where they get themselves into goofy predicaments. A riot nearly breaks out when a man begins a tirade about cigarettes and blames Dante. The duo close their stores to play a hockey game on the roof. They close again to attend a funeral for one of Dante’s ex-girlfriends that they are subsequently thrown out of.
What’s amazing is in amongst the shenanigans is a very accurate portrayal of the modern working class male psyche. Dante is called into work on his day off; a call to duty which represents one of the worst scenarios a twenty-something has to face. Dante and Randall are poster boys of the disenfranchised generation that Fincher talks about in Fight Club, but they aren’t channeling their aggression at all, except perhaps at the customers unfortunate enough to be serviced by them. This is a film about two men simply trying to deal with the personal hell of a monotonous life while hoping for the least amount of hassles.
If Dante is the one extreme, a male suffering from the minutia of his life because of his own inability to better himself, Randall is what’s commonly known as a slacker. He shows up a half hour late, and when he does show up he fights with the customers, or ignores them completely. Smith also gives Randall some of the best scenes, such as his ordering explicit porno titles in front of a mother and child. Smith was originally supposed to actually play this role, which is why Randall has most of the best lines in the movie, but apparently Jeff Anderson was so strong in his audition that he won over the director.
I love a scene in which Randall brags, “Some guy came into the store refusing to pay late fees. Said the store was closed for two hours yesterday. I tore up his membership.” Bottom line is, Randall is probably the person that each of us wants to be more than the one we are, even though currently, I’m writing this column while I should be working. Back to the point, Randall is a terrible worker, but seemingly gets away with all his discretions. Problems arise because not only do we admire Randall’s boldness and luck, but Dante does also. Only Dante must always suffer for his transgressions, giving their relationship a built in tension, where Dante inevitably lashes out and then forgives. Yet Randall’s loyalty to Dante is unquestionable, which is probably why the two are so close and inseparable.
I love how Smith separates his film into nine sections, representative of the nine rings of hell in The Divine Comedy. Dante must go through several wacky trials and tribulations during his day in this personal hell, The Quick Stop. Most of these have to do with his relationships with women.
Smith’s biggest strength as a writer and director is a way of showing male insecurity. In a brutally honest sort of way, no director is able to depict the subject better, save for maybe Woody Allen. Even so, Smith’s characters seem even more honest than Allen’s. Dante is easy going and loving, until he’s discovered his girlfriend Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti) may actually be more sexually experienced than him. This is a theme that repeats again even more prevalently in Chasing Amy. Suddenly, he forgets the loving, nurturing treatment of his girlfriend, and sees only a woman he thinks had too many guys, degrading her as she leaves the store.
Dante is actually drawn to his ex-girlfriend Caitlin Bree (Lisa Spoonhauer). Even though she has caused him years of anguish, he’s can’t stop giving her one chance after another. There’s something in the psyche that makes us want to tame these lovers into loving just us, hoping that they’ll finally realize that we’re the one they want. It’s this Great Expectations type of mentality that Dante suffers from.
Enter what Entertainment Weekly referred to as Smith’s “Greek Chorus”; Jay and Silent Bob. Played by Jason Mewes and Smith himself, these two are witnesses to the day’s events and also serve to break up the possible monotony of the film with their antics and musings. Strangely enough these two provide the film’s moral and most reflective moment. For all of Randall’s screaming, it’s funny that it takes Bob’s “You know, there’s a million fine looking women in the world, dude. But they don’t all bring you lasagna at work. Most of ’em just cheat on you” to bring Dante out of his funk and to focus him.
At the end Clerks is a crass and rude comedy, and on the surface it totally works as such, but I doubt that’s why its Cult status has lasted this long. Smith’s dialogue is strikingly good for any first feature, much less one that costs $27,000. For example look at this scene which totally demonstrates Randall’s contempt for his customers…
Some of the character’s best moments happen in a scene where a woman keeps asking about two videos while Randall is desperate to ignore her.
Indecisive Video Customer: They say so much, but they never tell you if it’s any good… are either one of these any good?
[Randal ignores her]
Randal Graves: What?
Indecisive Video Customer: Are either one of these any good?
Randal Graves: I don’t watch movies. [Obviously lying]
Indecisive Video Customer: Well, have you heard anything about either one of them?
Randal Graves: I find it’s best to stay out of other people’s affairs.
Indecisive Video Customer: You mean you’ve haven’t heard anybody say anything about either one of these?
Randal Graves: Nope.
Indecisive Video Customer: [Turns around, then shows Randal the same movies] Well, what about these two?
Randal Graves: Oh, they suck.
Indecisive Video Customer: These are the same two movies! You weren’t paying any attention!
Randal Graves: No, I wasn’t.
Indecisive Video Customer: I don’t think your manager would appreciate…
Randal Graves: I don’t appreciate your ruse, ma’am.
Indecisive Video Customer: I beg your pardon?
Randal Graves: Your ruse; your cunning attempt to trick me.
Indecisive Video Customer: I was only pointing out that you weren’t paying any attention to what I was saying!
Randal Graves: And, I hope it feels good.
Indecisive Video Customer: You hope WHAT feels good?
Randal Graves: I hope it feels so good to be right. There’s nothing more exhilarating than pointing out the shortcomings of others, is there?
Indecisive Video Customer: Well, this is the last time I rent here!
Randal Graves: You’ll be missed.
Indecisive Video Customer: Screw you!
[leaves]
Randal Graves: [runs to the door] Hey! You’re not allowed to rent here anymore!
My favorite line of this exchange is probably the flippant “You’ll be missed” line. the movie is full of these types of jokes, with just that one extra line that sells each joke. After the “37” argument, the “In a row?” line by the stranger at the very end is the one that few people remember, but may actually get the best laugh. Smith simply knows how to connect with his audiences through dialogue that few others are able to. From Star Wars references to sexual anecdotes, Smith makes the outrageous seem legit.
As for not mentioning the acting in this film, the reason is, is that it’s as if Clerks has no acting. These people simply are those characters and we are watching a day in their life. In fact if I really found out that Brian O’Halloran wasn’t just like Dante, I’d probably lose some of the love for this movie.
Well I could go on and on apparently about this movie, so I’ll go ahead and stop here. Clerks really is a seminal film in my life and one that I’m sure will endure for time to come. Hopefully, Smith will be able to someday make a film that will garner attention that has nothing to do with fart jokes, but even if he doesn’t he’ll still have this masterpiece.
Picture Credits: impawards.com, outnow.ch
