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Page 4 —T he Portland Observer July 17, 1991
OF
Portland Observer
ENTERTAINMENT
m
Œ3
Teach for
Today's Truth
By
The Cost of Success
by S h a ro n
C am arda
he real star of Boyz N The Hood is writer/
director John Singleton-just for managing
to gel his film made and negotiating a
three-year deal with Columbia Pictures. Of
the 400 plus films released each year, only
19 by black directors were slated for re
lease this year. Singleton is now riding the
wave of young African American filmmakers
cashing in on Hollywood purses. But at
what cost?
Set in South Central Los Angeles, Boyz
chronicles the lives of three boys beginning
in 1984 and then moves to the present,
when the realities of neighborhood vio
lence hit the teenagers. It is not a “ gang”
film, although gang violence permeates the
culture depicted by Singelton. Boyz is also
not a “ music video” film; there is no ex
traordinary cinematography and the sound
track doesn’t overshadow the film’s sub
stance. It is also not an “ action” film al
though there are chases, police choppers
flying overhead, wailing sirens, fights and
killings. The film is about learning to make
rational choices in a social pressure cooker.
But can young, impressionable viewers
separate artistic license from surface sen
John Singleton, 23-year-old sationalism? Singleton is presumptuous if
writer/director of Boyz N
he expects them to.
The Hood, grew up in the
Singleton grew up in South Central
neighborhoods depicted in
and translates the gritty, unnerving reality
the drama and said the
well, but his inexperience as a filmmaker
acts of violence were
shows particularly in the never-ending
"indicative of the
barrage of moralizing messages and sym
degeneration of American
bolism pushed into scene after scene. The
society, not a reflection of
blatant truth that gang involvement leads to
my film, which is about
family, love and friendship. " death, selling drugs is bad business, moth-
T
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T-
>•.
ers addicted to crack risk their children’s
lives, unprotected sex brings babies, etc. is
not new to a viewing audience. The real
lessons in Boyz come during rare moments
of subtlety-a football is taken by teenage
street punks; one of them secs enough of
himself as a youngster in a good little boy
to give the football back, a father puts his
son’s well-being before his own social
life, tears are shed and are not a sign of
weakness between those who love each
other.
Singleton doesn’t give his audience
much subtext from his characters, though
he attempts to show relationships wrought
with conflict and emotion. We know that
Trc’s (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) parents are di
vorced, but we don’t know why. We know
that Furious (Larry Fishbume) says the
army is no place for a black man (he served
in Vietnam), but we don’t know why. A
black policeman confronts the main char
acters on several occasions and is brutal
and racist, but we don’t know why.
What we do know is that Boyz N The
Hood is bold and timely, and a formidable
first effort by 23-year-old Singleton. Il is
obvious he wanted this portrait of urban
survival, and hope for a better life, to do so
much. Sadly, recent violence in several
cities where the film was shown (and the
hungry media coverage) may intpede ar
tistic progress by a growing community of
black filmmakers. The very stereotypes
Singleton wanted Boyz N The Hood to
deny are being associated with the film.
That irony, like Boyz, is a tragedy.
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PORTLAND OBSERVER SPECIAL
Tony
Reality or Sensationalism
by B illy D on
W a s h in g to n
f one has the opportunity to view
Boys N The Hood he or she will
see the definite impact Brothers
and Sisters of the community
should be aware of. Be aware of
the fact that approximately 40%
of the homes in the community have a
single parent foundation, and this needs
to be addressed. When som eone doesn ’ t
have guidelines or a stable home to live
in, it’s almost a promise that all good
will not come from the situation.
Boyz N The Hood is a great pic
ture! It illustrated the need for unity
among blacks, families and the need for
worldwide peace. It’s a shame that every
time you hear about a film that’s gang-
related it gets bad reviews because it
promotes violence. People need to be
aware of the content and meaning of
these films and have a better education
of the “ real deal.” Wake up, America.
It’s just dirt and it’s just bad that the fa
miliar don’t give their kids education
and guidance.
Boyz N The Hood is about a father
who wants the best education for his son
and just happens to live in south central
LA where “ gang” is a popular word.
And why not? There are gun shops and
liquor stores on every other block; that ’ s
one reason why crime is so heavy. And
also answers why these kids don’t have
a chance to survive.
Tre’s father was great in raising
him; responsible, firm and loving, and
is an example of what needs to be done
in your own Hood! Think about it.
he irony of the motion pic
ture Boyz N ’ The Hood is
that it will not be remem
bered for the positive mes
sages the film deploys.
Although this is not a
gang film per se, it does reinforce gang
violence and gang activity in African
American communities around the
country. In my opinion writer/director
Singleton is trying to present a positive
message in some very troubled times.
What Singleton is trying to get across
to young Afro-Americans is that we
need to change learned behavior. The
fact that one out of every 21 Afro-
American males can expect to be shot
in his lifetime by another black male
shows a gross disrespect that Afro-
Americans have for their race.
In Boyz, Tre Styles (played by Cuba
Gooding, Jr.) goes to live with his fa-
T
“Two thumbs up-way up.
It’s one of the year's best films:'
- SISK E L * EBERT
“A t r i u m p h . ”
M ik e C lerk , U SA TODAY
“A p o w e r h o u s e m o v i e . . .
th e w ork of a tru ly gifted film m aker.’’
D a v id A n se n , H E W S W fclK
M U S IC
M IL L E N N IU M
23RD Ü NW JOHNSON
248-0163
32ND & E BURNSIDE
231-8926
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CLASSICAL M IL L E N N IU M
next to EAST SIOE LOCATION.
NAMCO
OPEN HOUSE
Monday - July 22,1991
4837 N.E. M.L.K. Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97211
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5
ther so his mom can work on getting i
degree from graduate school in order b
live a bourgeois lifestyle. The style o
life with his dad became a form of boo
camp. Tre and Ricky (Morris Chestnut
want to go to college but the “ hood’
influence is so strong and deadly tha
Ricky ends up dead and his verbalb
abused half-brother, Doughboy (let
Cube), seeks revenge.
Again, death brings about mon
death. When does the killing stop ant
the reality that although this is a motioi
picture-kids cannot handle the mes
sages or mixed signals a movie of thi:
nature sends out?
I feel the movie was a work of ar
from an acting standpoint and direc
tor’s viewpoint. What I would like tt
do is get the gangs out of the neighbor
hood so the boys, our young children
can reclaim it.
• >•? :
FRIDAY JULY 19
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