BOYZ N THE HOOD
"Boyz n The Hood is the critically acclaimed story of three friends growing up in a South Central Los Angeles neighborhood, and of street life where friendship, pain, danger and love combine to form reality." - Sony Picture
Boyz in the Hood is a fantastic film that mirrors the plight of young African-American men growing up in America's inner cities. John Singleton created "Boyz n The Hood" to comment on all the obstacles young black men faced in America in the 90s. Singletons' use of not-so-subtle imagery and lines makes these comments clear. For example, Singleton speaks about black men by focusing all the film's events on three black male characters.
- Tre(Cuba Gooding, Jr.) aspires to a brighter future beyond "The Hood."
- Ricky (Morris Chestnut), Tre's best friend, a teenage father, and a college-bound running back
- Doughboy (Ice Cube), Ricky's older half-brother and an unambitious drug dealer
"The Hood" is a place where drive-by shootings and unemployment are rampant. “... a world where a trip to the store can end in death”
The film begins when these boys are in elementary school. It is instantly noticeable this film is set in the hood and not in the typical Hollywood film affluent neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Immediately, you understand the raw, rough, and uncensored life of these boys. From the language used and the subject matters discussed, it is clear that these kids are absent of innocence. Even more apparent is that their lack of innocents is a side effect of their neighborhood.
"In inner-city America, where one in every 21 young men will die of gunshot wounds, and most of them will be shot by other young men, it is not simply a question of whether the child will do well in school, or find a useful career: It is sometimes whether the child will live or die."
As you watch the film, please pay attention to the subtle hints of the causes of the issues they face. Plenty of imagery and character lines describe where these issues arise. Particularly pay attention to the Furious Style (Lawrence Fishburne). He and Tre's mother offer plenty of insight into the challenges ahead for these kids.
"This film is a moving story of growing up in poverty and being black in America. If you watch this film, notice how" the friends have diverse reactions to their bleak surroundings" - Sony pictures description.
For example, the film comments on the following.
- Gentrification, by lines mentioning how the placement of liquor stores and gun-selling pawn shops are prevalent in this community.
- Gang violence, through the attire confrontations that come up.
- The absence of police presence, when a robbery occurs. Also, when the boys visit a dead body.
- Lack of fathers, by comparing Tre's upbringing to the other men in the film.
- and mostly poverty
"Their 25,000 or so members, often armed with automatic weapons, vastly outnumber the police and are said by local law-enforcement officials to have become the central distributors of rock cocaine, or crack, throughout the American West"
This movie will have its audience on a rollercoaster of emotions, so prepare equally for laughter and sorrow. The Acting from this star-studded cast was perfect. For that reason, Boyz n the hood is one of director John singleton's best works.
"The police say Los Angeles has become the gang capital of the nation. " - NYT