Did the Spring Breakers trailer make you cringe? Did you laugh uncontrollably when James Franco’s voice whispered Spring Break repeatedly? And did you wonder why Disney and ABC stars such as Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson felt the need to prove themselves in showbiz by going no holds barred into an almost pornographic film? Well, I can tell you that I did. I thought how sad it was that young female actresses feel the only way they could prove themselves was by stripping down to their bikinis and prancing around like bimbos. No doubt, this film is the result of just another male director obsessed with the female form and unable to think of anything outside the box. But when I talked to my friends, they all seemed genuinely excited. And so, I gave it a go.
The film begins with an extremely gratuitous, long, slow motion montage of college kids on Spring Break. Set to Skrillex’s ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’, it sets the precedent for the entire film: booty shakin’, beer-drinking, shirtless girls and boys seemingly having the time of their lives. But, the film is more than superficial.
Typical bad girls Candy, Brit and Cotty (I know right, those names are so inventive…) drink and get high as they while away numbing hours at their small-town American college. Enter Faith; the obviously-named Selena Gomez character who can’t stand waking up in the same bed, in the same neighborhood every day and is losing faith in God. Oh, and did I mention they haven’t been able to save up enough money for Spring Break? Tragedy. #whitegirlproblems.
However, the girls don’t let this ruin their fun and after robbing a local restaurant, they’re on their way to Florida. Another visual-feast of a montage ensues as the girls party hard, getting drunk, dirty and relatively naked. This all comes to a close though when they land in jail for drug use and misconduct.
Enter Alien; a tattoo-covered, silver grill wearing gangster, with cornrows to top it off. Now, if for no other reason at all, watch Spring Breakers just for James Franco’s performance as Alien. Totally transformed and almost unrecognizable, Franco is over the top in all the right ways. From his accent down to his swagger, everything about him screams creepy. And yet, in a particularly poignant scene with Selena Gomez, you can see how such a lost and confused girl really could fall into his trap. In an effort not to spoil the film, I won’t go any further here. But it is worth noting that Franco’s character is not the one in control; these girls aren’t blind followers, they want what they get.
There are two ways of understanding this film. The first, and very obvious one, is to totally dismiss the director and stars as following the ‘sex sells’ mentality. I mean, who’s not going to pay to see Disney stars strip down and get dirty? However, this film does try to offer more than that. At times, the acting is a bit forced and the shots a bit pretentious, but the gratuitous drugs, violence and sex are all very purposeful. When Franco is standing in his mansion, atop his bed full of money and guns, screaming ‘look at my shit!’ you can’t help but think: Is this guy serious? As the girls constantly pick up guns and wield them like toys, you will undoubtedly question their sanity. The repetitive scenes of topless women grinding up on each other as males drench them in beer make you wonder: Does this actually happen? I would argue that it is in this ridiculousness that Spring Breakers comes alive. Perhaps it points to the idiocy of the mythic sex trip that is ‘Spring Break’; perhaps more broadly to the over-sexed and desensitized culture that we are currently living in. It really is quite hard to decide between the purely exploitative gaze of the camera and the potential yet unconfirmed meaning.
Now, I’m not saying that everyone and their mum needs to go see this film, I’m just saying it’s worth talking about. It’s visually intriguing, visceral and at times extremely uncomfortable. But it also brings up issues, whether negatively or positively, surrounding sex and power, nudity on screen and gender dynamics. As a critically engaged viewer, I find myself wanting to discuss the film; sitting on the fence about whether I can possibly allow myself to enjoy it. But love it or hate it, I can’t stop thinking about it. As Franco says: “Spring Break, Spring Break, Spring Break Forever”.
For more female driven pop culture discussion, listen to the podcast Memoirs of a Fangirl.
