176. Wake Up Punk; movie review

 

WAKE UP PUNK

Cert 15

83 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sex references

Oh, blimey... there is nothing like millionaires lecturing us on why we shouldn't listen to millionaires.

I can't believe that Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's son Joe Corré didn't see the irony or even downright contradictions in Wake Up Punk.

In simple terms, Westwood may well have been one of the leaders of the 70s rebellion against the rich and powerful.

But now she and her son are among the establishment, wearing clothes which are top of the range rather than held together with safety pins.

Nigel Askew's film uses Westwood as its poster girl but is actually focused on Corré's much-publicised burning of punk memorabilia.

It was said at the time that the value of the clothes, records etc was £5m but it could have been more or less. Let's be honest, he could afford it, whereas real punks would not have been able to.

Anyway, his symbolic stunt took place on the River Thames and was orchestrated to coincide with his mum giving a speech about climate change.

This is where I agreed with both - today's youth need to be grabbing the agenda and protesting more vigorously if they want a future.

It's what young people have done down the ages but nowadays they seem to be curiously disinterested in politics.

On the plus side, Askew's documentary gives rare insight into Westwood's relationship with McLaren and her time at the forefront of punk, including their work with the Sex Pistols.

But it quickly drifts away into the gentrification of punk and the alarm that it has been taken as museum material by the establishment.

Thus, the insistence on doing something rebellious in the name of the movement.

However, if the burning mementoes were intended to have impact, having the ashes framed and hung in Mayfair gallery left me scratching my head as I had been for much of this baffling documentary.

Reasons to watch: rare Westwood family interviews

Reasons to avoid: Self-indulgent

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: Art nudity

Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? Westwood's son by Malcolm McLaren, Joe Corre, is the founder of Agent Provocateur, while her other son, Ben, is an erotic photographer.

The final word. Nigel Askew: "It was just the family chat of them talking about everything. She's never really spoken about Malcolm before – not in that way. She’s given the odd answer, but not to that extent.. You wouldn't get what I got, hours and hours of talking about everything. I think it was just the right moment, really, and quite lucky.” Eye For Film

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