Discrimination against black minorities in the United States is pervasive. The gang drama “Menace II Society” shows what consequences this can have for individuals. The drastic genre film is currently included in the subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
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“Menace II Society” – also known in Germany as “The Street Fighters” – is the brilliant directorial debut of the twin brothers Allen and Albert Hughes from 1993. Their America is not the land of unlimited possibilities, but that of those left behind Hopeless. The underprivileged black population discussed here cannot escape the rough regularities of their ghetto-like district. That some of these people get on the wrong track is only the logical consequence.
›› “Menace II Society” on Amazon Prime Video*
The ghetto never forgets!
18-year-old Caine (Tyrin Turner) grew up in an impoverished neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles. Without a real perspective, he and his buddy O-Dog (Larenz Tate) make the area unsafe. In addition to the daily drug deals and theft, there is even a double murder when O-Dog shoots an Asian shopkeeper and his wife in cold blood. Only his relationship with the single mother Ronnie (Jada Pinkett) causes Caine to rethink. But when he plans to turn his back on the problem area and his new family forever, the teenager is mercilessly overtaken by his violent past …
Violence was born in the cradle
The inhabitants of the ghetto fight for bare survival in their own cosmos, far away from the well-protected, predominantly white middle class of the USA. A childhood memory of the main character Cain clearly shows that the protagonists are confronted with violence at an early age. In a flashback, his father (really angry: Samuel L. Jackson) shoots a defenseless teammate sitting at the table during a round of cards in his own four walls – just because he refuses to pay his debts.
While the main character Caine goes through an evolution – fueled by his love for the responsible Ronnie and the desire for a better world, O-Dog is a hopeless case. Not only does he sell the drugs, he also consumes them. The murder of the Asian couple, in which the man merely counters O-Dog’s insults and immediately catches a bullet, make it clear at the beginning of the film that Caine’s best friend has long since thrown all moral ideas overboard.
As a viewer, it is not that easy to find a suitable figure to identify with – after all, Caine is also a serious criminal despite his will to change. And as hard as Caine tries to outsmart the misery of the neighborhood – the tragic end is inevitable. Particularly shocking: The real danger does not come from outside as in the form of racist cops, who are only accessories in “Menace II Society”, but from the center of one’s own community.
The New Black Cinema and its fruits
In terms of location and problem, “Menace II Society” is not the first film of its kind. Rather, it is in the tradition of New Black Cinema. A genre in which African-American filmmakers let their own perspective speak in order to counter the one-dimensional representation of blacks in the Hollywood mainstream.
20th Century Fox
Caine (Tyrin Turner) and O-Dog (Larenz Tate) move on dangerous terrain.
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In his multi-award-winning ghetto drama “Boyz N The Hood”, director John Singleton had already dealt with the hopelessness of the situation of black youth in South Central LA two years earlier. But while in the finale of “Boyz N The Hood” a glimmer of hope is on the horizon, “Menace II Society” leaves a bitter aftertaste. But that stimulates thought about a social problem that has lost none of its topicality almost 30 years after the film was released.
Krasser Slang & cooler Soundtrack
Despite the explosive thematic nature of “Menace II Society”, there is a certain coolness factor in the staging that cannot be denied. The haunting hip-hop score of well-known performers such as Ice Cube and Too Short (who can also be seen in a supporting role) as well as the loose mouths of the characters with their inflationary use of swear words quickly made the rounds among film fans – at least among friends from the author of this streaming tip.
“Menace II Society” on Amazon Prime Video
If you want to catch up on the viewing of the 90s video rental pearl or refresh your youthful memories, you can now stream “Menace II Society” as an Amazon Prime member at no additional cost. You can find the link for this in the article above. The film is also available on DVD on Amazon. The slightly longer Director’s Cut, which contains some previously removed violence peaks, is not yet available in a German version, apart from the unofficial bootlegs.
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