Photo by Chris Knight
This past weekend I went to see the movie Chi-Raq by Spike Lee. On the faith of being a Chicago native and the allure of the movie title, I felt it was only right to see a movie about the city I love so much. When it comes to creative expression I am all about supporting independent artists. Lee has been known for independently creating his own lane in the film industry. Keeping that in mind, I knew that Lee wouldn’t disappoint and would over deliver on the issues currently plaguing a beautiful city.
Now, if I could visually describe the movie…it would be a modern day version of Do The Right Thing with a hint of School Daze. There were parts of the movie that were authentically impactful, while there were parts of the movie that made me say really?
Lee was right on target with addressing the gang and gun violence in Chicago. Lets be honest, too many innocent lives in Chicago are being taken by random acts of violence. Solutions are needed!!! However, understanding the day-to-day reality of most people living in Chicago, unfortunately the movie (for me) did not capture what the Chicago culture truly embodies. I was expecting more. WAKE UP was the whole premise of the movie, as it is in most of Lee’s films. Hopefully the movie will WAKE UP and inspire other people to make films about Chicago that truly represents.
Until next time…
-Peach
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