Film's Lazy Language

Jan. 10, 2008--Over the past 35 years or so, American movies have really taken a turn for the worst in the creative language department. Screenwriters are resorting to the use of foul language, with a Capital "F," like never before as a way of expressing everything from anger to surprise, pain, fear, disgust, disappointment, or a sense of extreme elation. Indeed, the "F" word is quite diverse; it is used not only as a verb, but also as a noun, interjection, and, occasionally, as an expletive infix.

The word has a long history, but is basically a 20th Century phenomenon as far as its widespread usage goes. Its first appearance in the Oxford English Dictionary was in 1972. In popular music, John Lennon's 1971 release, "Working Class Hero," featured the use of the word, which was rare in music at the time and caused it to, at most, be played only in segments on the radio. When TV characters let it slip, as in the early cases on BBC TV and Saturday Night Live, they were usually fired on the spot.

Comedian George Carlin once jokingly commented that the the "F" word ought to be considered more appropriate, because of its implications of love and reproduction, than the violence exhibited in many movies. More popularly published is his famous "Filthy Words" routine, better known as "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television," which, of course, includes the "F" word and its parent.

One of the earliest mainstream Hollywood movies to use the "F" word was director Robert Altman's antiwar film, "M*A*S*H," released in 1970 at the height of the Vietnam War. Since then, the use of the "F" word in R-rated movies has become so commonplace in American films, no one seems to bat an eye at its excessive usage; and some movies are actually known and raved about because of their overkill of the word.

But I say it's part of a growing trend of film's lazy, rather than creative, language habits. In Martin Scorcese's movie "The Departed," there are more than 195 uses of the "F" word in all its various manifestations from "f---ing firemen" to "Abracaf---indabra!" Yet in the great Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon," where Humphrey Bogart plays tough-guy dick Sam Spade, there is NO use of the "F" word at all - not even once - no matter how tough, angry or pushy the characters got! Same deal with "Casablanca." In fact, in "Falcon," he doesn't even utter the word "damn" but rather requests: "Will you get the bundle and bring it to me P.D.Q...."

On the softer more romantic side of films, when we think of a Woody Allen movie, we don't usually associate him with profanity, but rather skillfully crafted, romantic ways of communicating. I remember loving all the Woody Allen films as they were released over the years - one enchanting moment after another... that is, until "Deconstructing Harry," which is a good film; however, all the sickeningly foul language - especially uttered atypically by Allen's lead character - ruined it for me. Every character in that movie had a severe mental problem and the curse of lazy language.

In the movie, "Fargo," a teenager blurts out the "F" word in front of his parents and the father, who is a criminal, liar and all at once plotting the kidnapping of his wife, actually reprimands him! And Steve Buscemi, as in almost every film in which he appears, says the word so many times in so many situations, who could count?

I'd like to see some fresh ideas presented in film allowing characters to express themselves as intensely as if they were using foul language, but with more creative and subtle phrasing. The great film noir movies of the '40s and '50s come to mind, or some of the TV shows of the '50s and '60s. The late great Rod Serling was famous for his inventive stories; and the characters in "The Twilight Zone" acted out their parts with all the heartfelt intensity and drama of any "Sopranos" character - without the "F" word.

The amount of words and phrases in the English language are limitless, yet most of us are guilty of utilizing but a small percentage and never increasing our vocabulary by learning new words and new ways of expressing ourselves. So let's all get out our thesauruses and blog new and exciting phraseology that will dazzle future generations to come!