Released in 1991 Boyz n the Hood continues to evoke and convey powerful emotions and messages nearly 30 years after. At just 23 years old John Singleton made his debut with the timeless movie that was nominated for “Best Director” and “Best Original Screenplay” during the 1991 Academy Awards. Deemed culturally and historically significant in 2002, the US Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry. The film is a passionate drama, shot with fluency and style and touches on almost every aspect of the young black male psyche growing up in the LA ghettos capturing what life was like for black Americans growing up and living in low income neighborhoods in a world filled with drugs, violence, and poverty. As a representation of America during the late 1900’s there was scenes of drugs and tobacco, specifically cigarettes. The film did cast drugs as a negative but kept the use of tobacco subtle. This review will analyze the movie and how its scenes of drugs and tobacco can affect the audience.
Set in a time when America was dealing with rampant racism, and citizens particularly black Americans, who resided in what is considered the ghettos or “hood” lived in a world that was filled with drugs, violence, and poverty. The film, and is meticulously detailed because the writer and director, John Singleton, grew up on these very streets. The film follows the lives of 3 young black males living in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles, capturing what it really was and is like for youth living in at risk neighborhoods.
What is Boyz n the Hood About?
Boyz n the Hood centers around Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.) who is a is bright young, black adolescent being raised by his mother, Reva Styles (Angela Bassett). After Tre gets into another fight at school Reva decides that her son needs a father figure to teach him discipline and reasonability, so she sends him to live with his father Jason “Furious” Styles (Laurence Fishburne) in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angles. Furious, through stern, is a loving father and teaches Tre values to grow up to be a proper citizen while protecting him from the booming drug and gang culture in the neighborhood. Jason is a mortgage broker and Vietnam veteran who has lived his whole life in the ghettos. He has seen the effects that poverty, violence, and drugs have on the people living there, especially young boys and men. The film also focuses heavily on the Baker family, the opposite end of the black familial spectrum. Brenda Baker has 2 sons, Ricky Morris Chestnut) and Doughboy (Ice Cube). The 2 stepbrothers are friends with Tre, but they don’t have a strong male role model to keep them in line. Ricky is able to avoid trouble due to his aspirations to get a scholarship and play professional football, but Doughboy falls prey to the life of crime and drugs as he becomes a member of the Crip gang. Despite this the audience can see that Doughboy is a decent person with good morals but due to circumstance is caught up in the world of violence and drugs much like many other youths living in a toxic environment. Audience members see the lives of the 3 young boys and the difficult decisions that they must make as they too get involved in violence, drugs, and murder.
Was Drug Use or Smoking Present in the Film?
There was extensive exposure of drugs and smoking shown. There were scenes where it showed Doughboy and his friends just hanging out drinking and smoking. There were also numerous times that drugs were mentioned in the movie. Additionally, Jason and Brenda Baker was shown to be smoking a cigar or cigarette quite a few times. However, these scenes were relevant to the setting of the movie and to the overall message.
Drug use in the movie
How Is This Film Influencing Viewers?
Though use of drugs and smoking is present numerous times in the movie for the most part they were shown in a negative light. The film captured how drugs can lead to violence as we see Doughboy get involved in that life and face problems with the law. On the other hand, the individuals who are trying to escape the ghettos and live a better life, Tre, his mother, and Ricky are never shown to be involved with smoking or drugs. Rather they are focusing on saving up money, pursuing a higher education and that is a great message for youth and adults. Just because everyone around you is doing something or most people give up on a better life doesn’t mean you have to as well. It can be argued that Jason is portrayed to look cool, calm and collected while smoking but the movie does a great job showing that it’s not something, he is proud of. He mentions that he wish he made better decisions, but it is what it is and there is a sense that he feels trapped in the world. Though it displays drugs and smoking I believe it isn’t encouraging the use of the substances but rather is showing them that substance abuse is dangerous and can lead down terrible pathways for oneself and their loved ones.
Personal Opinion
Boyz n the Hood is one of the more powerful movies that I have seen in my life. It forces the audience to challenge how poorer communities in North America face hardships, and how the people who live there are highly prone to having a life filled with bloodshed, drugs, and constant poverty for generations to come. The movie does an excellent job of portraying a realistic life for a group of young boys and shows how one’s decisions can affect them in the long run. It’s a great movie to show youth that are entering their early teens to inform them and make them questions their decisions, their friendships, and how they carry themselves for years to come. The movie tackled many controversial topics in an era where media wasn’t discussing such issues. It pioneered many of the films that were made subsequently regarding racism, gentrification, and other social issues that have and still affect North America. I highly recommend watching it.
Written By: BCS Youth Leader
