I can imagine this film was pretty shocking when it first came out in the mid 80s. Today, it’s lost its luster. While some of the ideas about oppression, religion, and discipline are interesting, it’s hard to get beyond the fact that none of the characters are sympathethic and the theme is flawed. By that I mean, the film would have been much more powerful and thought-provoking if the “leader” of the dissent boys had been rational. Having him seem anywhere from impulsive to slightly deranged makes what happened in the end (among normal teenage boys) even less plausible.
However, I did enjoy the bizarre hallucinations or fantasies about the coffeeshop girl.
(I’m still not sure why some of the film was in black and white though.)
Best line: “Heaven is for the blessed, not for the sex obsessed.”