“Write what you know” is an advice that was enthusiastically taken by young African American film maker John Singleton while writing the script that would become his feature directing debut, 1991 drama Boyz n the Hood, one of the most successful and renowned films of its time. The plot, inspired by Singleton’s growing up in South Central, troubled section of Los Angeles, begins in 1984 when we are introduced to protagonist Jason “Tre” Styles III (played by Desi Arnez Hines II), 10-year old boy who, despite intelligence, gets in trouble in school due to his bad temper. His mother Reva Deveraux (played by Angela Basset) concludes that Tre needs someone to teach him how to be a man and that someone is his father Jason “Furious” Styles Jr. (played by Laurence Fishburne), Vietnam War veteran and mortgage broker who has managed to elevate himself from despair and poverty that plagues much of his neighbourhood. Furious’ tough love approach and seven years later Tre (played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) is model teenager who stayed out of a trouble, has a job, plans to go to college and even marry his girlfriend Brandi (played by Nia Long). His best friends who live in neighbouring house weren’t so lucky. Darrin “Doughboy” Baker (played by Ice Cube), despite being a teenager, has gathered a criminal record and long stints in juvenile detention, and spends most of his time consuming liquor, alcohol and supporting himself through petty crime. Doughboy’s half-brother Ricky (played by Morris Chestnut) has a child of his own and lays all of his hopes for better future on football talent that would get him college scholarship. Tre still hangs out with them, but this comes at the risk of being involved in altercations with other young men that could escalate into violence and bloody cycle of retributions.
John Singleton originally wrote his script in 1986 as an application for USC film school. The script is not only an expression of Singleton’s experiences in neighbourhood surrounded by poverty, despair, drugs, gangs and senseless violence, but also of his views on issues that plagued African American community at the time. Most of those problems coincided with Reagan’s presidency (which is implicitly blamed through symbolic scene), when the price for newly founded confidence of America was paid through economic policies that favoured the rich at the expense of the poor, many of them in black neighbourhoods. Singleton, who is only 23 at the time of production, brilliantly conveys this bleak picture through a simple story. Characters might succeed or fail, they might laugh and cry, but they always live under the shadow of violence – whether it is a police brutality, ironically displayed by self-hating black policemen, or trivial disputes and incidents that, thanks to omnipresent gang culture and misguided codex of honour, are bound to escalate into senseless tragedies. South Central from the distance looks just like a typical American suburb, but Singleton’s camera at close shows unpicked trash, graffiti, sound of gunfire and police helicopters illuminating neighbourhood every night. Singleton very passionately brings those issues to a broader context, blaming not only white establishment, its neglect, greed and attempts for gentrification for those woes but also black community which is unwilling to come face to face with its own responsibility for such sorry state of affairs.
Singleton, who also took inspiration for the film in Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me, a coming-of-age drama which is both very different and very similar to Boyz n the Hood, also enjoys aid from great cast. Cuba Gooding Jr. is great in the role of young man who desperately tries to do the right thing, but also struggles to resist temptations to turn towards the violence, especially in the scenes at the emotional and powerful ending. Laurence Fishbourne is also great as regal, larger-than-life character who is convincing despite some of his dialogues being a little bit preachy (especially during the scenes when he warns his neighbours about dangers of gentrification). Angela Basset is also great in the role of woman who embraced career instead of family but nevertheless appears responsible parent which is able, when need arises, to put Furious in his place. But the most notable performance belongs to Ice Cube, rap artist whose work, just like Singleton’s, was inspired by growing up in troubled neighbourhood. Although far from being professional actor, he brings depth to the character and, thanks to his charisma and Singleton’s capable direction, helps film get melancholic yet powerful ending. Singleton made a very good film, one of the best debuts in history of Hollywood and the only major flaw that could be found in it is perhaps overemotional and too conventional music score by Stanley Clarke.
Boyz n the Hood benefited from the being released after the end of Cold War, when attention of Hollywood and American public began to switch towards domestic issues, including plight of underprivileged segments of society. For Hollywood the film was striking very close at home, due to racial tensions in Los Angeles being stirred up with infamous Rodney King incident, and which would a year later escalate into devastating riots. Boyz n the Hood is sometimes referenced as one of the first expressions of “political correctness” in Hollywood, but, seen from today’s perspective, it would probably infuriate most “woke” audience with its deeply conservative message about family as the bedrock of society and need for father figures to keep children out of trouble. Apart from making a very good results at the box office, Boyz n the Hood was praised at the critics and Singleton later became the youngest person and the first African American to be nominated for Oscar for Best Director. Success of the film led to creation of new subgenre that would become trendy in 1990s Hollywood – so called “hood films”. Many of those film’s tried to match impact of Boyz n the Hood, but few succeeded.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/650-boyz-n-the-hood Critic: AAA
