Boyz 'n' The Hood by John Singleton (1991)

trailer



Cast:
Cuba Gooding Jr (Tre Styles), Ice Cube (Doughboy), Tyra Ferrell (Mrs Baker), Larry Fishburne (Furious Styles), Angela Bassett (Reva Devereaux), Morris Chestnut (Ricky Baker)

Genre:
Contemporary drama

Setting:
Los Angeles in 1990 at a time when racial tensions and gang warfare in America were a prevalent concern

Main characters:
Tre Styles, a popular eighteen year old: Furious Styles, Tre's father who brings Tre up.

Narrative focus:
Tre is the focus across one summer with his family and friends

Synopsis:
LA, 1984. At the start of the film, Tre Styles is a confident and popular 11-year-old living with his mother in south central LA. As a teenager, he goes to live with his father who teaches him how to deal with problems and conflicts and encourages him not to use drugs. He has hopes of going on to college, a girlfriend, Brandy, and his two close friends Doughboy and Ricky. Doughboy has a tendency to get into trouble with a rival gang. Tre and Ricky apply for college. In their neighbourhood gang, tensions rise. Tre's best friend is shot dead in a drive-by shooting. Tre gets his place at college and leaves south central LA behind

Background:
"The issue of racism is central to American politics and culture and has been part of its film history since the earliest years, in films such as Birth of a Nation (US, 1933, D W Griffiths). Boyz N the Hood was made at a time when Los Angeles experienced riots and racial tension, sparked by police brutality towards Rodney King and followed in the tradition of Spike Lee's films, notably Do the Right Thing (US, 1989) and Malcolm X (US, 1992). Boyz N the Hood was a critical and commercial success, using conventional dramatic techniques to explore issues of gun culture, masculinity, drug use, sex and the role of parents. It is a good example of a wide-ranging collection of films about the experience of young black men in contemporary, urban America. To some extent Boyz N the Hood sparked new interest, expanding on the films of Spike Lee."

Boyz N the Hood (1991,USA)