An Effective Portrayal of Drug Addiction, Crime and Delinquency in Society through the Medium of Film
I. Introduction
The use and abuse of illegal psychoactive substances is a worldwide public health issue with repercussions on the individuals, their families, and society. Beautiful Boy directed by Felix Van Groeningen in 2018, tells the story of a distraught and desperate father (David Sheff) struggling to grapple with his son’s (Nic Sheff) severe drug addiction. The film rotates around the protagonist’s battle with methamphetamines and the adverse effects it has on his family. Beautiful boy is a film which is framed in an unusual and unique manner and tends to jump from different periods, spanning the protagonist’s life in accordance with his drug addiction. This addiction is a vicious cycle and his battle to overcome it is displayed in a cyclical manner, as the audience witnesses his recourse to rehab, his recovery and inevitable relapses. This sequence reoccurs throughout the duration of the film.
Life-course criminological theories can be used to trace the providence of his addiction through several sequences in the film. Beautiful Boy is atypical in the sense that it does not progress in a linear, chronological fashion. It differs from cliché drug addiction films because it does not clearly address which precise factors can be attributed to the protagonist’s susceptibility and vulnerability to substance abuse. However, the director gives subtle hints to the audience regarding which life events may have possibly coerced the protagonist into commencing his drug-fuelled journey. This article analyses the film from a life-course criminological perspective, by attempting to trace the moments and subsequent events which led to the protagonist succumbing to his addiction. In particular, It will be analysed whether family can have an influential impact on a child developing drug addiction and whether genetics increases or decreases the likelihood that an individual will develop an addictive personality. In addition, the repercussions and implications of the protagonist’s crystal meth addiction will also be investigated such as the violence, aggression and theft that ensues as a result of this type of drug. Furthermore, this film will be interpreted by examining the use of cinematic techniques which are implemented in the film, such as the use of flashbacks and the colour composition of the film.
II. The Path to Drug Addiction from a Life Course Criminological Perspective
The article intends to explore how the protagonist’s childhood may have played a pivotal role in his drug addiction, persuading him to turn to drugs as an outlet and refuge. This assignment will also address several criminological theories which are applicable to the protagonist’s unorthodox trajectory and criminal behaviour.
Methamphetamine “produces a short, intense rush, followed by a long-lasting sense of euphoria.”Individuals who are vulnerable to addiction, like the protagonist can result in having long-lasting neuroadaptive changes which promote drug-seeking behaviours as a result of repetitive exposure to the agent. The protagonist consistently refers to the general assumption that most drug addicts search for numbness and an “escape from life.” The protagonist convinces himself that the only manner in which he can relinquish his dissatisfaction with life is to take Methamphetamines, “I need to find a way to fill this black hole in me.” The main question which arises is why the protagonist felt such an uncontrollable desire to numb this type of pain and which factors may have contributed to this compulsion?
A combination of life-course theories helps to ascertain the origin of the protagonist’s drug addiction. Farrington notes that the prevalence of offending peaks in the late teenage years, between 15 and 19. In Beautiful Boy, the protagonist begins to act rebelliously and impulsively during this period. Impulsivity is a characteristic of addiction and this makes it harder for him to desist. Wikström’s Situational Action theory proposes that criminal acts and moral rule-breaking arise from the interaction between the individual and the surrounding environment. Wikström postulates that “Opportunities cause temptation.” This is an intriguing hypothesis as Nic only gave in to his desires when an opportunity was presented before him. Relapse is an inevitable part of addiction and recovery is generally short-lived. For example, when Nic began one of his first recoveries from drug addiction, he had been quite successful until he was presented with an opportunity to act on his desires. At this stage of his life, he had found a girlfriend and was enjoying attending his lectures and college. During a family dinner at his girlfriend’s home, he gave in to temptation by taking pills which he found in the bathroom cabinet which he would not have been able to do if he had not been placed in this situation. An opportunity also arises when Nic has an unforeseen encounter with his friend, Lauren. This results in the protagonist relapsing by injecting crystal meth at her home. The situational action theory demonstrates that the protagonist only tends to seize opportunities when they are presented before him which upholds Wikström’s theory. Similarly, Farrington’s ICAP theory stipulates that tempting opportunities may cause an increase in antisocial potential.
However, this film also contradicts several prevalent developmental and life-course theories. For example, Lahey and Waldman note that delinquency can be caused by having a “low cognitive ability” However, Nic Sheff excelled at school and was accepted to study at six universities. LeBlanc also suggested that factors such as social class and an individual’s neighbourhood could influence the likelihood of engaging in criminal behaviour. In contrast, Beautiful Boy refutes this notion as Nic grew up in a picturesque location and both of his parents appear to be affluent people.
(ii) Family
The film is divided into a series of moments which alternate between memories shared by Nic and David Sheff. These memories contrast heavily with their present lives. Van Groeningen uses flashbacks as a cinematic device in order to achieve this fluid movement in time. This cinematic device is intriguing as it encapsulates the blurred nature of drug addiction through its disjointedness, just like Nic’s outlook on his life. Flashbacks are vital as they show the audience how Nic behaved as a young boy which can be contrasted with his present-day criminal behaviour. This is also achieved through the colour palette of the film. In the “memory” scenes, bright, vivid lights immerse the screen connoting warm and happy childhood memories of a father and son surfing at the beach. This is juxtaposed with the bleak and dark tones which are evident in Nic’s current drug-addicted state and creates an unpleasant atmosphere. Flashbacks are especially pertinent in regard to the protagonist’s experience of divorce which altered the trajectory of the rest of his life.
(b) Divorce
There are many factors that increase a young person’s likelihood of using psychoactive substances such as divorce. Some of the most commonly used drugs among children whose parents are in the process of divorcing or who have divorced in the past, are alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and amphetamines. But there are several other risk factors associated with parental divorce that may also increase an adolescent’s chances of abusing substances. One of the primary factors that contribute to adolescent substance use is stressful or traumatic early life experiences.
Through the use of flashbacks, which often revert to the beginning of his parent’s divorce, Nic is despondent as he has to leave his father to go live with his mother for several months as part of the divorce settlement. The airport is a recurring motif in the film as Nic is never able to stay in a stable home over a long period of time. He appears to be dejected in this scene which could be attributed to the fact that he feels that he is to blame for his parents separation and his father no longer cares for him.
The vast majority of life-course theorists have suggested that family factors should be analysed when predicting the likelihood that a child will develop anti-social behaviour. Nic was four years old when his parents divorced. Children at such a young age often feel as though they are to blame for parental dissolution. It has also been established that children who have witnessed their parents’ physical altercations can develop behavioural problems. Divorce at such a young age can be quite traumatic for a child. Severe stress in early life is known to dramatically increase the risk of addiction, and the risk increases with greater trauma exposure. Severe stress in early life is known to dramatically increase the risk of addiction, and the risk increases with greater trauma exposure.
In Beautiful Boy, it appears that Nic was 15 when he began taking hard drugs and acting in a deviant manner. The Cambridge study in Delinquent Development, delinquency rates were higher among boys who were living in permanently disrupted families on their fifteenth birthday, compared to boys living in intact families.
(c) Parental Conflict
Increased communication between parents during a divorce in a calm and civil manner can help reduce a child’s stress and trauma levels. Unfortunately, this does not occur in the film. It is explicit in several scenes that his parents do not have a good relationship as they fight frequently over the phone which insinuates that there is a lot of tension and friction between them and this may have also occurred when Nic was a young child.
(d) Lack of Supervision Prior to Addiction: “Poor parenting is a prominent cause of early onset offending”
Thornberry et al., came to the conclusion that parental stress and parenting deficits were the most important mediating factors for a child causing antisocial and criminal behaviour. Both of the protagonist’s parents were very negligent in terms of parental supervision. They were completely oblivious to the severity of Nic’s personal issues. This is explicit when his mother was unaware of her son’s whereabouts due to the fact that she “hardly ever” sees him. Both of Nic’s parents also did not realise the extent of his drug abuse until he entered a rehabilitation program.
A victim-blaming narrative runs throughout the film as his father oscillates between feeling guilty for having not noticed his son’s symptoms earlier, and frustrated for having a negative influence his son. It is suggested in the film that David Sheff may have inadvertently contributed to his son’s drug use. He reflects upon a moment of carelessness when he shared a joint with his son and openly discussed his experimentation with illicit drugs in the past. He regards this as a crucial turning point for Nic, a moment which he could have utilised as a learning curve for his son in order to discourage him from ever engaging with drugs. However, by openly admitting to drug use, this confirmation may have incited Nic to continue on his drug escapade and destructive path. This film highlights that despite his father’s efforts to kill the poisonous presence of drugs which had begun to permeate in their lives, his efforts are often in vain. It is quite paradoxical that his father is battling against an issue that he was considerably involved in. This renders Nic’s addiction even more poignant and tragic.
(ii) Genetics
The director of the Division of Basic Neuroscience and Behavioral Research at the US National Institute on Drug Abuse in Bethesda, Maryland found that about 50% of the risk of becoming addicted to drugs is genetic, within a range of about 40–60%.This genetic component is remarked on in Moffit. His theory suggests that “genetic and biological factors are important.” in the development of criminal and anti-social behaviour. Therefore, given the addictive properties of crystal meth and the fact that Nic’s father was a drug user in the past, this would indicate that these all played a part in Nic’s methamphetamine addiction, “A positive family history of substance use in any first degree relatives is considered to be a high-risk factor for developing addictive disorders.”
III. The Repercussions and Adverse Effects of Drug Addiction:
(i) Violence
Methamphetamine is notorious for its association with violent behaviour.Violence associated with methamphetamine is often as a result of methamphetamine-induced paranoia. This is reflected in the film, as Nic becomes very aggressive while high on crystal meth. For example, he often shouts at both his father and step-mother and in order to finance his addiction, he steals money from his younger brother and lied on numerous occasions to his parents in order to acquire the financial means to purchase his next ‘fix’. The protagonist also engaged in criminal behaviour by breaking into the family home in order to sell goods. As a viewer, it is often difficult to fathom that the young boy singing along to music in the car with his father could act in such a cruel manner. Many scenes in the film also depict Nic driving his car while inebriated or high on drugs. According to Farrington, “Reckless driving” has also been considered to be a form of offending by those have been exposed to risk-factors .
There is a positive correlation between methamphetamine use and a variety of offending behaviours including public violence and property crime. The likelihood of a methamphetamine user reporting income from acquisitive crime was approximately four and a half times higher than the income of a non-user. An Australian study found a higher rate of property offences was recorded for amphetamine users at the time of arrest, compared with non-users. The data presented in this study derives from the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program, which demonstrated that 35.8 percent of detainees reported using methamphetamine within a month prior to their detention by police. This clearly establishes a link between criminal behaviour and methamphetamine usage.
Conclusion:
To conclude, Beautiful Boy upholds several life course theories concerning the protagonist’s path to addiction, such as Wikstrom’s situational action theory. Despite the lack of clarity underpinning the origin of the addiction in the film, there are a number of critical factors which appear to have contributed heavily to the protagonist’s downward spiral. Beautiful Boy is choreographed in a manner that gives the audience the impression that the development of the protagonist’s drug addiction was encouraged by culminating life events such as the divorce of his parents. A lack of parental supervision and his father’s imprudent parenting skills prior to the addiction and genes may have also played a role in developing an addiction to methamphetamines. Farrington and Thornberry et al., have also concurred that ineffective parenting can have negative consequences for a child’s antisocial potential.
The effects of drug dependence are multifarious and the film demonstrates that users will often resort to criminal behaviour in order to sustain their addiction by committing violent acts, theft, lying and manipulation in order to obtain financial means to maintain their addiction which is also confirmed by many life-course theorists. The majority of life-course criminological theorists highlight that having a supportive family consisting of healthy relationships between both the parents and the child are critical in order to impede future delinquent and antisocial behaviour.
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