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Jan. 18. 1992 No. 14
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City of Hope
Directed by John Sayles Reviewed by Valmay Young DESCRIBED BY Time Outas the finest movie by a US independent in years', City of Hope is a film title both true and ironic.
Sayle's film portrays a sophisti. cated and undogmatic account of ghetto life, where the issues of right and wrong are as interwoven as the plot. Despite the complexities of a multi-character work, Sayles manages to excel. Most other direc tors would bauk at the thought of having more than three central Taures Nonetheless, the large number of players makes it dillicult to distinsuish who the main characters are First the fim highlights Nick Renal do (Vincent Sparo). A wiful young Italan, he leaves his father Joe's (Tony ia Bianco) bulding site, in a bid for independence. Both he and his father are drawn into a web of corrupton wish the towns mayor and poice. involving arson. robbery Next. interwoven with this, is the story of two young blacks. Des mond (Jojp Smolett) and To (Ed. ward Jay Townsend JInr.), who ive in a property caned by Joe. They: get involved with the law in a dis pute which becomes an issue of black rights.
Also, this situation brings in other characters including Wynn (Joe Morton). Wynn is a careerist black councillor, intent on exploiting the confrontation as much for hm self, as the community he repreWhile Sayle's style in this, as in other movies of his, is to use a political backdrop in order to describe personal relationships, a number of issues emerge.
One is that of the rise of black professionals, and the choices they save to make between joining the white system or retaining their roots. Another is the corruption of a situation where it is necessary for port to win elections. Also highighted is the domino effect of police harassment, as in the case of Desmond and TRo.
Indoed, the issues dealt with have a great afinity with those cur. rently being explored in the new wave of black firs. This shows the influence that a year, in which more produced than in the previous ten. is having on a wider range of conscious film makers.
However, i is not just black fims that have influenced Sayles in this movie. The aggressive pace at the start of the piece is redolent of HipHop in the way it attempts to stimulate the audience. This extends to the dialogue through the film, which is racy, inteligent and seasoned with wi, # peppered with the oc casional set-conscious slip into melodrama. As the film progresses, the intial spood slows, and the moviegoer settes in to enjoy the powerful, naturalistic, unCity of Hope and films like 2. present a challenge to America to accept the complexity of its muttcutural experience. Rather than the typical depiction of lalans or Afro-Americans merely in the form of gangster fims or showbiz musicals.
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