Movie Title Discussion: SCL PUNK

Salt Lake City (SLC) Punk is a movie about two punk kids in Salt Lake City, Utah and their quest to bring about anarchy in this conservative city. The main characters put their peers into groups: punks, preps, mods, natizs, and rednecks. They dislike anyone who isn't part of their group: the punks.

The movie begins with a solid black screen. Blue letters appear in the middle of the screen displaying the names of the Production Company, producers, and director. There is soft music playing in the background at this point. Then the screen goes solid black and there is a voiceover of the main character. He says, "The thing about me and Bob, and pretty much all of us, was we hated rednecks more than anything else, period. Because rednecks for us were American carnate. And American, huh, well fuck America. " The screen then flashes to a scene where two "rednecks" are getting out of their truck. The main characters appear out of nowhere and begin beating the "rednecks" with bats. The main characters then throw the bats down and begin running. It appears as if they are running towards you, the viewer, in slow motion. There's another voice over by the main character, saying, "What could I say weren't much more than a couple of young punks." The screen then fades as if the movie reel is coming to an end. The screen goes black again and the title of the movie appears on the screen. The "SLC" appears almost as if it were stamped there. You here the sound of a spray paint can being shaken up, and "Punk" appears as if it were spray painted there. You hear punk rock music playing in the background as what looks like punk album covers with the names of the people involved in the making of the movie appear on a black screen. After everyone is introduced the movie starts.

I think the title of the movie introduces the main themes explored in the movie. The scene with rednecks introduces the theme of violence and stereotyping which are present throughout the rest of the film. The punk music and album covers were important because they introduce us to the lifestyles of the main characters. Music was and remains to be an important and defining part of the punk lifestyle. The spray paint affect also plays into the punk stereotype, for at the time period depicted in this movie, graffiti was associated with punks and anarchist.

The voiceovers were important, not only because they introduced us to the main character, but because they began to explain the views held by his group. I think by having a black screen during the voiceover really makes the audience listen to what is being said, simply because there is nothing happening on the screen to distract them. This only stress the importance of the message being presented.