movie review: rize

tonight, heather and i watched the movie rize. i enjoyed it.
here's a summary i lifted from imdb.com
"Documentary film that chronicles the practice of "Clowning" and "Krumping", radical, energetic, and vividly extreme dance forms that have taken on enormous importance for black communities in south-central Los Angeles on many levels: as serious forms of spiritual and artistic expression, as alternatives to gang participation, as a means for knitting social fabric. Various personalities within the dance movements are profiled."

okay, that's a pretty bland, but accurate, description of the movie. frankly, i'd have much rather have watched a movie break dancing, as i'm a little more into that. but, it was definately cool to see the people in the movie doing their thing, where they come from, how they started, and so on. one scene in particular really stood out: it was a montage of old footage of african tribal dance and a sport similar to wrestling intermixed with these dancers doing their thing, as well as one particular guy out on playground. the guy on the playground was going slow, working through moves, but the whole shot was silhouetted. really nice looking. the piece was visually stunning, as well as a good connection point.

the film also did a good job showing people doing their best to find another way of life, a positive way, in the midst of so much negative. yet, they also have to deal with very real points of life. after a big competition, one of the organizers receives a phone call telling him how his house had been robbed during the show. others talk about leaving a show and seeing someone get shot on the corner. finally, one of the younger people in the film dies in a random shooting. it's not shown, but they include news footage and interviews with her family.