HITTING THE GROUND
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.5 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
United States, 1996
Shown at the 1996 SXSW Film Festival
Running Length: 1:42
MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Mature themes, profanity, violence,
nudity)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Neal Huff, Anney Giobbe, Rik Walter, Mark Douglas, Paul Mullin, Daintry Jensen Director: David P. Moore Producers: H. Dennis Moore, Des Garrison Screenplay: Paul Mullin Cinematography: Alfredo Padilla
According to HITTING THE GROUND, the fundamental law of the universe is that entropy increases. David P. Moore's debut feature takes place on a college campus where chaos, uncertainty, and racial tension create a turbulent climate. It's only a matter of time before an event, or a series of events, ignites a conflagration. Entropy is indeed a theme of HITTING THE GROUND, but Moore's message is that we should fight against it rather than accepting it as inevitable.
By their very nature, college campuses are hotbeds of dramatic potential. Some movies, like John Singleton's disappointing HIGHER LEARNING, squander the opportunity. Others, like HITTING THE GROUND, effectively exploit it. Moore's feature uses the campus of an unspecified university as a microcosm of society. He explores issues of isolation, racism, and the corrupting power of the media. There are times when the themes become a little too esoteric, but Moore never takes the easy way out. The ending is especially well conceived and executed.
Howard (Neal Huff) is a photographer for the local college newspaper. One day, while shooting random pictures on campus, he photographs a girl taking a fatal leap out her dormitory window. Howard's film becomes a hot property, but, while everyone is concerned about getting the negative, no one cares about the trauma the experience has caused the young man. Because he views the incident as something intensely personal, Howard is unwilling to give up the photographs, even when threatened with bodily harm.
Other subplots swirl around the main one. One involves the moral struggle of Howard's best friend, Malcolm, who wants to become a member of an exclusive black fraternity. Should he obey the dictates of the organization, and not speak to anyone, or break his silence and go to Howard's aid? Meanwhile, another of Howard's friends, Jillie, encounters heartbreak in her search for a boyfriend, and Howard's own romantic life takes an unexpected turn when Jillie contrives a meeting between him and his dream girl.
As intelligently as HITTING THE GROUND deals with most of its issues, it occasionally flounders. After viewing the suicide, Howard decides that he can no longer tolerate being inside. Although an explanation for the sudden claustrophobia is offered, it's neither convincing nor coherent, and Howard's reluctance to enter a building comes across as a plot device rather than a natural psychological reaction to circumstances.
Moore is merciless when criticizing the popular media. He portrays those who work in it as shallow, greedy, and contemptuous of others' intelligence. No distinction is made between newspapers, magazines, television, or radio. In Moore's view, they're equally soulless. It all has to do with money and power, and there's no room for integrity, truth, or compassion.
HITTING THE GROUND is far from perfect -- it relies too much on music to establish tone and convey emotion, and some of the performances are uneven. Nevertheless, for a first film made on a limited budget, this movie is more perceptive, intelligent, and engrossing than a majority of what emerges from Hollywood.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net web: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin (or) http://www2.cybernex.net/~berardin
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