CLERKS

US, 1994, 97 minutes, Black and white.
Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonauer, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith.
Directed by Kevin Smith.

Clerks is the first film by writer-director Kevin Smith, made when he was twenty-three on a budget of $27,000. He made it in a video store in New Jersey where he was employed and filming was done over three weeks at night. (There is a joke about the shutters of the shop being jammed - which covers the fact that the film was made at night.)

Smith sets a tone for his films, a great deal of talk (somewhat in the Quentin Tarantino vein), humorous observations about serious matters as well as all kind of trivia, especially pop culture, especially comics and films like the Star Wars series. Smith is able to get a lot of observation about culture from his twentysomething perspective and comments on the tones of the 90s that his peers would be able to understand and appreciate. The irony is that in his films he portrays Silent Bob, scarcely saying anything in any of the films, leaving the inane chatter and the gross comments to his companion Jay, played in all the films by Jason Mewes.

The film focuses on two young men who work at video stores, all the things that go wrong in their day, tragic and comic. The film also has a great number of characters and the film's credits give names to a great number of these, indicating the tone of the film: Indecisive video customer, Dental school video customer, Hockey goalie engagement savvy customer, Happy scrappy kid, Bedwetting dad/cold coffee lover, Video confessor/candy confession customer.

The film is what many of the commentators called Slacker movie, a focus on young men who seem to be indolent, laissez faire, happy and unhappy-go-lucky who survive each day, things upsetting them, things making them happy, but drifting on from day to day. This tone continued in Smith's subsequent film Mallrats but things became more serious with Chasing Amy and Dogma. After his own marriage, he made a more conventional look at people's relationships, Jersey Girl.

1. The work of Kevin Smith, visual, verbal? The Slacker ethos? The humour, the commentary on ordinary day-by-day life for twentysomethings? In New Jersey? In the United States? How universal the issues, types?

2. Black and white photography, the use of the video shop, the blinds drawn, the enclosed world of the shop, a microcosm of New Jersey? The musical score and the range of songs?

3. The title, the focus on Dante and Randall, their work, their lives, their outlook? Their work in the two shops? Their relationship to the boss? The range of customers who came, their treatment of the customers, friendly and unfriendly, the nicknames for the customers indicating the range of people, their mundane interests, their serious interests?

4. The character of Dante, the focus on him? The convenience store, his day off, his being asked to come in, the extra shift? His having to get up, his hockey practice, his coming in? His girlfriend, Veronica? Her discussion about her sexual activity? His reaction, discussion with his friend Randall, the video store? The information about Caitlin getting married, Dante's high school girlfriend? Veronica and her coming into the shop at different times? Dante and the information about the boss, his having to miss the hockey game? The negotiations for it to take place on the roof of the store, the ball going down the drain, abandoning the game? The old man, the pornography magazine, going into the bathroom - and the gross irony of Caitlin's sexual behaviour with him, thinking it was Dante? The information about their school friend's death, going to the wake, not staying very long - after Randall knocks the casket over? The fitness trainer, his dating Caitlin, the inspector, the selling of cigarettes to minors? Dante and the cumulative effect of all these events of the day? Caitlin coming in, her breaking off her engagement, wanting to go out with him? Her return from the bathroom and the gross information? Caitlin in shock, in hospital, Dante's reaction? Criticism that he isn't caring about Veronica? Randall coming back to the store, his fighting with Dante, the resolution of the clash? Closing the store? The events of the day? What was revealed about Dante's character, his behaviour, his attitudes?

5. The character of Randall, working next door, how similar to Dante, how different? Their discussions? Dante relying on Randall as his best friend, the news about Caitlin getting married, Randall and his arguing with Veronica? The going to the wake, his awkwardness with the casket? His discussion with Caitlin, his arguing with Dante about his attitude towards Veronica? His telling Veronica about Caitlin? His coming back to the store, the clash with Dante, patching things up?

6. The two girls, their relationship with Dante, Caitlin in high school, Veronica later? His attitudes towards them? Love, sex? Caitlin and the engagement? Coming to the store, thinking that she had a relationship with Dante but was with the old man? Her going into shock, in hospital, Randall and his discussions? Her future with Dante? Veronica, dating, her boasting about her sex activities? Randall telling Veronica about Caitlin? The attitude of Kevin Smith towards the women?

7. Jay and Silent Bob, their presence, Bob and his visual expressiveness, especially his face? Jay and his continued talk, gross, inconsequential, ignorant and crass attitudes? The comic effect of each of them?

8. The range of customers, their interests, concerns, the nicknames given to them in the cast? A cross-section of New Jersey people who use a convenience store? Smith using the convenience store as a kind of microcosm? A picture of America? World picture - American style?