Boyz 'N the hood is a thoroughly fascinating and deeper than you think look at life in Los Angeles around the early 1980s to early 1990s; what the film actually does is look at a life in one of these Los Angeles 'ghettos' and uses it as the backdrop for a wonderful series of filmic events revolving around growing up, relations with family and friends, racism and the constant threat of violence.
The film has a certain aged charm about it; and with actors you'd easily recognise today looking very different in 1991, this adds to the feeling. These actors/celebrities are: Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr, and Ice Cube. I was surprised at how everything in this film just managed to pool together and just work. The film doesn't really adopt a neo-realistic approach but what it does do is tie together an unpredictable and often heart-warming script, great character development and some genuinely entertaining situations that don't let your eyes off the screen.
Some examples of this can be when the main group of characters are out for revenge and stalk a rival group whilst they innocently have their meals on the pavement or when the father of then ten year old Tré (Gooding Jr.) is desperately trying to bring his child up well and teach him the right things he needs to learn whilst we are desperately longing him to listen. The way in which the four main characters in the group also progress; bouncing off one another in life and scraps as they try to find their way is not only compelling viewing but the attention to detail by including unnecessary dialogue and real life conversations in real life situations is remarkable. The life in which these people lead is also put across in a very disturbing and realistic way that makes you glad you're not part of what is going on. This is done thanks to visuals and background noise and sound effects. Often a police car siren will begin to wail; signalling there's probably been another shooting or crime that has happened; there will also be, what I presume, a police helicopter fly overhead every once in a while forced into keeping an eye on things and events even though everything's probably fine. This feeling of being trapped and constantly in danger whilst being watched most of the time plays on the character's minds and is relayed onto us in an often effective manner.
In terms of visuals, there are constant threats and reminders that danger, literally, lurks around every corner. Tré attempts to take some food from one house and walk it about a hundred yards back to his own for his father but along the way is greeted by a car containing a few 'gang bangers' possessing a sawn off shotgun that is consequently aimed at him. He also manages to save a child that had escaped from its mother from getting run down in the road it turns out the mother has just too many to deal with and very solemnly shuts the door on Tré without much of a 'thank you'. Not only this but the approaching sound of rap and R&B music as cars get closer when there are multiple unknown characters in a scene is heard; it can feel very threatening especially if our heroes are out on foot and you do feel like they are in danger.
Boyz 'N the Hood is a fantastic debut film for John Singleton as many have already said. It combines multiple conventions and mixes them in well with one another as we see the lives progress of these four people we would never normally give five seconds of our time to.
