Menace II Society

Film Details

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson, Jada Pinkett, Tyrin Turner

Technical Details

The despair of the inner city ghetto has never been more graphically and realistically presented than in the Hughes Brothers' Menace II Society, a film of raw power fi... more >

The despair of the inner city ghetto has never been more graphically and realistically presented than in the Hughes Brothers' Menace II Society, a film of raw power film shot in Compton, California one year after the Rodney King incident that triggered the riots of 1992. The film is more of a collection of brutal images than a coherent narrative, an explosive and disturbing picture of a community mired in nihilism and the hopelessness that follows. Containing standout performances from young actors Tyrin Turner, Larenz Tate, and Jada Pinkett, the film's violence is graphic and realistic, avoiding until the very end the special effects and highly stylized violence we have come to expect from the genre. Caine Lawson (Turner), who narrates the film, is a product of the mean streets and has witnessed violence his whole life. His best friend is a borderline psychotic nicknamed O-Dog (Tate), the epitome of inner city youth who have no stake in society, kill without conscience, and whose self-respect is only as strong as the weapon they carry.

Caine is bright and looking for a way out and we feel sympathy for him without supporting his violent actions and his unwillingness to take responsibility for his life. We want him to get out before it's too late, but we know too well that it is hard to breakthrough the context of his life -- no hope and no way out. When he gets a neighborhood girl pregnant and refuses to help, the girl's cousin comes looking for him, leading to a predictable conclusion that leaves us desperate for answers yet unable to see any. Despite its cutesy title, Menace II Society is one powerful film.
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