Juice
Chad'z rating: *** (out of 4 = good)
1992, R, 95 minutes [1 hour, 35 minutes]
[drama]
starring: Omar Epps (Q), Tupac Shakur (Bishop), Jermaine Hopkins (Steel), Khalil Kain (Raheem), written by Ernest Dickerson, Gerard Brown, produced by David Heyman, Neal H. Moritz, Peter Frankfurt, directed by Ernest Dickerson.
Guns and respect go hand-in-hand in the ghetto, and "Juice" dares to tell this to a mainstream audience. Although the story is told in a Hollywood manner you never doubt the events that take place haven't happened in reality at some point (except maybe the end).
We meet our main characters through a montage which establishes the basic setting of the film. They are four black teenagers who live in Harlem, yet the way in which Dickerson depicts the atmosphere is not Gothic and pessimistic, just realistic.
First there's Q (Epps), a relatively quiet kid who aims to be a professional rap deejay someday, but he seems to be the only one who believes in himself. Then there's Bishop (Shakur), who's short-tempered, hyperactive, and apparently fearless. He always seems to be harassed by a Puerto Rican street gang, but he welcomes their violent challenges. It's hard to tell if he's doing it to keep his rep, or if he's got a death wish. There's also Steel (Hopkins), the generic funny-but-fat kid of the group whom the others constantly pick on. Finally, there's Raheem (Kain), the mediator of the group who seems the most responsible, although he does have an illegitimate child.
For the first 45 minutes there is almost no plot, just sheer character development and it's interesting to watch because it's a nice change of pace and the acting is superb. These four young men are an interesting group of characters as the script and their improvisation makes for great camaraderie. Few films are as driven by the acting as this film is.
The first act consists of the crew's day off from school and the things they do such as gamble at a poolhall, shoplift records, talk about their sex lives, and run from cops, yet they're so likable it's hard to think of them as hoodlums. They converse and laugh one minute, but they bicker and swear the next, one such incident leading to a fist-fight. In fact, that incident, for better or worse, is the turning point in the story.
Bishop feels the crew is always on the run and they need to earn the respect they deserve in the neighborhood. Eventually they get their hands on a Saturday Night Special and decide robbing the corner store will give them a taste of what they hope to be much "juice" (respect). The story takes quite a turn in direction when the robbery is botched leaving the store owner, and eventually one of the crew members dead at the hands of Bishop.
Soon, the surviving members fear Bishop has snapped and their lives are in danger for petty reasons. But here is a prime example of the acting driving the film as Shakur plays the role perfectly, making it clear Bishop has not gone insane, he has just been captivated by the sudden power he weilds. If anything, this film isn't so much about respect as it is the seduction of the gun.
It's clear Dickerson has a lot to say, but his themes and the way he presents them are not black and white and rigid about the cycle of poverty and black-on-black crime like "Boyz N The Hood." Instead, he opts for concentration on a few characters and their interaction with each other and not their environment.
The final act and the actual ending prove how commercial the film aims to be. I find it hard to believe the realistic, intense drama and suspense that had been built up through the first two acts would be relieved through a shoot-out and chase scene. Although a sense of justice is felt, it is served through another case of classic irony.
There's a fair amount of holes in "Juice," but the storytelling process is always interesting and the acting so convincing they overshadow almost all of the flaws. The ending might be a bit weak, but the messages are potent and enduring.
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