DROP SQUAD
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 6.0
Date Released: 10/28/94 Running Length: 1:26 Rated: R (Language, violence, mature themes)
Starring: Eriq LaSalle, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Ving Rhames, Kasi Lemmons, Leonard Thomas, Eric A. Payne, Nicole Powell Director: D. Clark Johnson Producers: Shelby Stone and Butch Robinson Screenplay: David C. Johnson & Butch Robinson based on a story by David Taylor Cinematography: Ken Kelsch Music: Michael Bearden Released by Gramercy Pictures
"Deprogramming," as it's commonly called, gained notoriety in relation to the religious cult movements of the '60s, '70s, and '80s. As originally envisioned, the procedure went something like this: deprogrammers kidnap a subject from a cult (typically at the request of family members), bring them to a "safe house," then indoctrinate them with anti-cult material until they renounce their recently-held beliefs and return to "normal" society.
DROP SQUAD adds a twist to the reasons behind, if not the process of, deprogramming. This time, it's not religious fanatics being kidnapped, but African Americans who are seen as having either sold out or turned their backs on the struggles of their race. The DROP (Deprogramming and Restoration of Pride) Squad was organized in the 1960s under the leadership of Rocky (Vondie Curtis-Hall) as a means by which blacks having lost touch with their people could be reminded of certain basic truths. With the advent of the '90s, however, the Squad's methods have become increasingly violent, and a fissure is developing between the group's leaders, Rocky and Garvey (Ving Rhames), about which method is better: talk or abuse.
To its credit, DROP SQUAD presents an effective case for the means favored by those on both sides of the dispute. Rocky believes that enlightenment through violence goes against the tenants upon which the DROP Squad was formed. Garvey argues that drug dealers and their like don't understand or respect anything except force. Given the way things develop, it's clear which side is winning the debate.
The bulk of the story involves the kidnapping of Bruford Jamison Jr. (Eriq LaSalle) at the request of his sister (Nicole Powell), who believes that he's gone over to the "enemy." Her evidence: Bruford works at a white-owned advertising agency developing cynical and demeaning commercials designed to sell cheap and potentially- destructive products (such as Mumblin' Jack Malt Liquor and General Otis Fried Chicken's "Gospel Pak") to blacks. The DROP Squad takes the job, kidnapping Bruford, tying him to a chair, and relentlessly abusing him, both psychologically and physically, all in the name of "enlightenment."
While DROP SQUAD spends some of its screen time debating the means by which the group attains their end, it hardly ever touches on the issue of an individual's rights. Considering that this fundamental question lies at the heart of deprogramming, it's odd to find a film whose only acknowledgement of the subject comes as a throwaway line.
DROP SQUAD uses a dual approach of satire and melodrama. Much of Bruford's life is portrayed with an edge that often verges on open parody--he is less an individual than a representation of those of his race in corporate America who have become boot-lickers. The depiction of Bruford's condescending commercials (one of which includes a self-deprecating appearance by executive producer Spike Lee) are viciously on-target. The accuracy and familiarity of what *should be* ludicrous lampoons is startling.
The film veers off course during the actual deprogramming sequences, which look like something out of Oliver Stone's bloated NATURAL BORN KILLERS. Here, melodrama and odd camera angles (meant to emphasize Bruford's disorientation) overwhelm the viewer. The heavy-handed sermonizing feels more like a force-feeding than something willingly- consumed.
Considering all the themes and issues brought to the screen in DROP SQUAD, the conclusion is surprisingly open-ended. There is no catharsis. In fact, there's not even a real sense of closure (a series of captions just before the end credits unsuccessfully attempts to remedy this). Given its perspective on black pride and integrity, it's impossible to dismiss what DROP SQUAD has to say. On the other hand, the method of telling leaves the viewer wondering as much--or more--about those subjects that didn't make it to the screen as those that did.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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