Light It Up

The premise of this movie brought me into the theatre even though I knew I was going to be bombarded with rap music. It looked like a fairly fresh way of presenting the problems facing inner-city schools without seeming like a bunch of whiny punks. What I got was quality entertainment, and a glimpse of some of the young black actors that will ensure Hollywood is not lacking in talent.
An uncaring, politically-minded principal sells one of his teachers down the river following a student outing, and triggers a non-violent protest calling for the reinstatement of the teacher fired for the incident. The on-site police encounter resistance, and one (Forrest Whittaker) accidentally gets shot. Now the situation gets out of control, and the result is a group of good kids with no ill intent holding the cop hostage while they petition demands for the school: fix the leaks, replace the broken windows, get us textbooks, etc. As you wait in the police standoff, you get the inside story on each of the characters and what brought them to the point they're at. What you realize is that they all had the best of intentions, but just had communication and perception problems. The movie culminates in an emotional final showdown between the students and the police, then ends with a narrative about the events after the hostage situation.
I was really impressed by the depth of this film, and the multi-level plot which explains each character's motivations. I didn't even notice if there was an excess of rap, because I was too caught up in the story. The fact that schools like this exist is a travesty, and we should be ashamed of ourselves as a society. The fact that the stereotypes associated with the students by the press are based on our real perceptions is humiliating. This one will open your eyes, and let you see how far we have yet to go.
Don't worry about paying full price for this one - unless you're a bigoted redneck. It's a really good movie, and one that makes you think. Peace, out.

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