In celebration of Spring Break 2013, instead of jetting off to Florida for a week of partying, or laying out on the California beach for a summer tan, I decided to see Harmony Korine’s new film, “Spring Breakers.” Though I’ve heard it called “the worst movie ever” more than once, I absolutely LOVED it. I may be one of the few, but I think that this movie has only been getting such hardcore hate because people expected “Spring Breakers” to be something completely different from what it actually was. Most American teenagers are familiar with the fun-loving cast of television actresses, including
Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, and Ashley Benson. The dubstep-heavy trailers and posters plastered with girls in bikinis gave the impression that this movie was supposed to be 94-minute rager. But in reality, “Spring Breakers” is definitely an art film. These misguiding marketing strategies may not have been an accident, however. At the beginning of the film, the characters themselves were similarly obsessed with the idea of a “classic” spring break, only to quickly fall down the rabbit hole of darkness and destruction. The audience’s shattered expectations mimic those in the girls’ minds.
I’ve heard and seen a lot of viewers complain that this movie is boring, which makes sense to a certain extent. “Spring Breakers” is not plot-driven. It’s about exploring the concept of Spring Break itself, as the ultimate model of mindless partying and carefree self-gratification.
But in exploring this theme, the film does a very good job at it. At its heart, “Spring Breakers” is about finding the balance between living to the fullest in the present, and staying in one’s comfort zone to ensure stability for the future. Personally, I think the film was born out of everyone’s recent obsession with “YOLO.” The characters want instant gratification in the form of partying, alcohol, drugs, sex, and thoughtless good times. At the beginning, these four average college girls even rob a store to fund their trip to Florida for Spring Break. They have no empathy for those they hurt, only thinking of their own pleasure.
The phrase “You Only Live Once” is often associated with the idea of doing whatever the hell you want, no matter how destructive or idiotic. Positively, it can also mean taking needed risks and making the most of the short amount of time we are given. Though risk is necessary to happiness, in reality, you can’t always live like there is no tomorrow, because there probably will be. There are consequences to every action, and everyone needs a certain level of stability and safety to stay sane. So, as a human being, you have to find that balance between living in the moment and living for the future.
“Spring Breakers,” above all, is about trying to navigate through the world and find that balance. Each girl leaves their Spring Break adventure at different points of the film, depending on their threshold for its danger. Selena Gomez’s character Faith is portrayed as the most “innocent” of the group; she goes to church, attends class, and makes regular calls to her grandmother. In the face of that safety, she desperately wants to feel alive. But the longer each girl stays, the higher the risk becomes.
As you may have noticed, the film made me think quite a lot. Living a balanced life can be difficult at times, especially for a college student. I think this film is definitely worth watching because it makes you examine what you want out of your time, and how hard it can be to figure out a good compromise. What are you going to do? After all, you only live once.