a clip from In Bruges (2008)
Thoughts on my love of this clip and its diction:
Though this dialogue uses the presently (and justly) socially unacceptable word "retarded" in a negative sense, it is not a crime to enjoy it, nor is it a crime to quote is in proper context.
1) It is an expression of character. Ray is a frustrated, stubborn, bitter man. He's expressing his irritation by lashing our with angry language. It's an insight into a layered and complex character that we see develop over the course of the film, but it is not done in an overt way, rather it is shown in a subtle fashion where we may infer information naturally.
2) "Retarded" in this use and context is an anachronism of the 2000s. It used to be synonymous with "stupid" or "dumb". Towards the beginning of the 2010s it saw a rapid decline in social acceptability, along with other words such as "gay" and "rape". It provides insight into the time of this film's making.
So I will likely quote this clip in the future, and I think that for these reasons it is not socially unacceptable to do so, as long as the proper context is given. After all, I see this as simply an eloquent, roundabout, referential way of vocalizing my distaste for something, not an actual expression of my disdain for the legitimately retarded.
