I've seen John Singleton's Boyz N the Hood 4 or 5 times now, and every additional time I have a chance to see it, any opportunity at all, I do. With each subsequent viewing, I find I see something new that I didn't before. I appreciate this movie because the fear it presents is so palpable, because the reality is so tangible... and because I've never had to experience it myself firsthand.
All my life, I've been a Maritimer from a lower middle class family. Both of my parents are still alive. I have never taken drugs, I have never experienced a drive-by shooting, I have never contracted a deadly disease. These, however, are very real problems in many North American cities, and watching this movie always reminds me of this vital fact. Just as World War II movies depict horrific tales so that we as a society can better understand today, so too does Boyz N the Hood exist as a timepiece for inner-city violence, tragedy, and the nightmares of daily living in major urban cities.
It is a harrowing coming-of-age tale that stars the young Cuba Gooding Jr. as Tre Styles. Tre is a boy who is on the cusp of adulthood, and in the span of a few days, is about to come to a crossroads in his life. What's so fascinating about Singleton's story is that we are able to see Tre's options before Tre actually makes his choices. We know his father Furious (a bold performance by Lawrence Fishburne), has lived to see the very worst times in the Hood and has turned out okay, but will Tre listen to his old man's words of wisdom? Perhaps he will end up like Doughboy (Ice Cube, in my esteem, in one of the best performances of the last fifteen years), his jobless friend who has known only revenge and apathy, but still seems to hold his destiny in his own hands. Could he end up like Ricky (Morris Chestnut), an athlete with a scholarship but a family to support before he hits 20?
Singleton sets up these questions through pivotal scene after scene, where the stakes are always high and the sheer frankness of the Los Angeles environment is a terrifying hell on earth. Take, for example, one scene early in the film, where Tre has come home. He is crossing the road and is stopped by a car in the middle of street by hoods who point a gun at him just to scare him. Just for kicks. Soon, he sees a baby crawling in the middle of the street, left there by his neighbour, who is a crack-addicted junkie.
The movie has lots of disturbing scenes, but it also has a tremendous amount of power, grit, and heart. The characters are achingly real, and all of the actors turn in multi-layered, accomplished performances. It also shows a sweeping tour de force by Singleton, who was only 23 when he wrote and directed it. The things you notice on repeat viewings are subtle, such as the Baker family couch, which is used in two crucial scenes in *very* different aspects. When it was released in 1991, Boyz N the Hood was considered a wake up call to the nation. Today, it retains its urgency, its profound message, and its unflinching look at a problem that unfortunately still needs addressing a decade later.
