Words by Bailey Agbai
Aside from the ridiculously cool wardrobe, the issues explored in Singleton’s masterpiece are still relevant today.
With picture-perfect scenes, aesthetic wardrobes and gripping storylines, films can often reveal more about our world than anything else. They often switch between reality and fantasy, revealing how things are whilst telling us how they ought to be. Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future illustrated the elegance in science and ambition, Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name displayed the beauty in honest love – and Tarantino’s Django told a tale of brutal hatred and glorious redemption.
Like those cinematic masterpieces, John Singleton’s Boyz in The hood – released 30 years ago – remains hugely relevant and symbolic. The film begins its educational activism from the get-go, opening with a blunt statistic that sets the tone for the rest of the film: “one out of every 21 Black American male will be murdered in their lifetime – most will die at the hands of another Black male”.
In some ways, the film foreshadowed the events to come: chronologically, it’s situated not long after the end of Ronald Reagan’s tenure as president – and a year before the LA riots, revealing the rampant inequality that faced the Black community then and now.
After 30 years, the social issues explored still remain relevant today: Black men, in particular, still face disproportionate attention from the police. Its exploration of race is full of nuance: it seeks to elaborate upon the often-superficial explorations of racism within cinema, and offer a more useful dissection.
It journeys to the roots of modern-day racism in America, tackling a range of issues – from the lack of opportunity to rampant poverty – within the Black community. It also explores the role the government played and continues to play in worsening matters: access to illegal drugs, the broken family unit, and inadequate schooling.
Interestingly, the film makes use of such issues and explores the consequences which come from them through the eyes of a single Black police officer. It is he that Singleton makes utter the n-word, creating a juxtaposition that raises questions surrounding anti-Blackness within the community – and the need to oppress a certain group of people to impress and maintain one’s position.
Of course, Boyz n the Hood would struggle to achieve its social commentary if not buoyed up by impressive performances from Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube. The actors help to convey the claustrophobia of their characters’ problems and the socio-economic conditions that keep them trapped within a dangerous cycle. With Gooding’s bright yellow shirt and Ice Cube’s Compton snapback, the actors manage to tell a sad and reflective tale.
At 22, Singleton created a masterpiece, a picture that still remains relevant and loved today. “Damn, they’re actually going to make a movie about how we grew up”, Ice Cube said after reading the script. The film’s big lesson? Young Black children across America continue to grow up in the same way.
In a reflective mood? Take a dive into the politics of Dave’s Brit performance.