Emergence of the Rap Culture through film

Movies like Boyz in the Hood are very unique in that they showcase real life in the ghetto. Some places are more dangerous then others to live in and violence and drug use can become rampant. Tough times are inevitable amount some people and doing stuff just to fit in can land them jail time or even death. Music has been used as an outlet for such people, explaining how they are treated and how they feel within their lyrics, which often host the same verbose they use in their daily life. Others outside this culture may find it vulgar and offensive, but by doing so they are missing the point. They are speaking to the other members of their culture, in a way they can fully understand, almost as if it was a new language. In places like this, the F word isn't as powerful by itself as it would be in an office setting, so as a listener (and a viewer) it is important to not see such words as being offensive.

There have been many rap artists who sing about their struggles of growing up that many people can relate to, and movies like Boyz in the Hood and 8 Mile showcase this as artists use their knowledge to not only make a film, but to depict how it was living in such neighborhoods in a realistic fashion. In a way, these are the true music videos.

The unique shots of a Scorsese film

Scorsese is a very unique director, and this movie exemplifies some of his work. He uses interesting shots and camera angles and will often depict a character by himself, but the scene has so much going on, in terms of intensity, that it doesnt even feel like he is alone. It is like the actor is addressing the viewer. This could be seen in the Taxi Driver when Robert Deniro was flipping the gun out of his jacket.

Some other cool instances that Scorsese uses is at the beginning of GoodFellas when blood splatters on the camera. He is also very well known for using freeze frames, but in a good way, not like Dukes of Hazard. These freeze frames pause the moment, and either allow narration over, explaining the moment without having the viewer miss any action while listening, or it is able to portray the thoughts of the character. Scorsese is also a big fan of violence, and these scenes are unique in that usually violence can't be depicted in one frame. Overall, Scorsese was the main influence for freeze frames, and most people that use them look to him for influence.

A limit to crime

The film Bonnie and Clyde did have its faults, namely in the introduction of characters and a sense of a strong motivation, but in the end, that is not what this film is about. The film could have, and in my opinion should have, started with the gang pretty much already formed. What was really intriging was the fact a couple was so involved with each other and formed based on crime. Such an unusual bond for two people to have. While the two didn't exactly serve justice, they also knew their limit. While bad, they showed a strong sense of morals.

For the most part, the gang tried to avoid killing. This was seen when the butcher attacked Clyde and he was honestly confused, he really did not expect such a thing to happen, and he also didn't try to kill the man back (although I'm sure he would have to save his own life). However, the first moment we really realize how much Clyde in particular is avoiding killing is when a man jumps on their car and CW caps him in the head. Clyde, as well as the others, are shaken up by this. They wanted to be bank robbers, not murderers. Most of the people they killed after this were only means to protect themselves, and only if they were an immediate threat. An example of this is when they ran into the sheriff, and even after spitting on Bonnie, did not resort to killing him.

In no way what they were doing was right, but at least they didn't have the full capacity to kill the innocent, which would make them much more dangerous then they were.