Review: Rockers

1. How does the main character, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, compare to the other main characters (Ivan Martin and Derrick Thompson) in the first two films we saw?

I feel that Leroy is a mix between the two main characters from the other films, having the moral high ground that Derrick has in his movie (mainly because both of them are put in unfair situations, but they manage to overcome them by the strength of pure determination and never turning into some kind of "dark side"), but also has this rawness and cynicism that Ivan has, and that Derricks lacks in comparison. 

2. Did you like or dislike the film? Why/Why Not?

I'm not really sure, i feel like it has some interesting themes, I specially like how the characters fight to preserve some kind of identity from the culture they know, it manages to represent this feeling that exist in most of the latin american countries of frustration seeing the identity of your country fade away in exchange for another predominant culture, so seeing that represented was nice. But also i was kind of bored the whole film, maybe i wasn't in the mood for something so simple as this movie, so i ended up being distracted instead of enjoying the movie.

3. In conclusion to our Jamaican film unit, which was your favorite film of all 3? Why?

It might be an unpopular opinion, but I feel like "The Harder they come" was my favorite of the 3, mainly because i feel like it was the only one that managed to combine an interesting story with the cultural roots of Jamaica, making it the most compelling to me, because i love a good script more than anything, and the film had enough substance to make something that i really like.

Review: Ghett'a Life

1. Who was your favorite character (s) from the film? Why?

My favorite character in film would be Derrick, the main character. This is mainly because I feel like Kevoy Burton (the actor who takes the role of Derrick) is the best actor of the bunch, making the character more complex that I think it was originally in the script. I also really how his character is almost a representation of the concept of determination and how even if it can take a lot of hits in the way, in the end, it always win.

2. How do we see the political conflict portrayed in the film? Remember to use the article Michael Manley's Vision to help you

The political conflict is one of the main themes in movie, showing clearly the division between the two political forces in Jamaica at the time (the People National's Party, and the Jamaican Labour Party), and also showing the violence as consequence of the polarization of the country. Also, it functions as an obstacle for the goals of the main character, making a clear critique of how a violent society completely divided, can not only hurt the people that the political leaders say they're trying to protect, but also hurting the younger generation taking away from them, theirs hopes and dreams.

3. How are woman portrayed in this film? Is it a little or big advancement compared to The Harder They Come?

I feel like there is almost no improvement at all, maybe that there is two women central to the plot this time instead of one, but the women represented here are always in function to the some of the men characters. Maybe the character of the mother is a little more complex and has more nuances to her, but also she is always in the same place of the house weaving and waiting for Derrick to give him some advice, or waiting for her husband to yell at him; there is no personality given to her outside of talking to men. Camella, the love interest of the movie is even worst, because she is given a glance of personality at the beginning, acting tough and rude, but that is suddenly shut away and is reduced to watch the struggles of the main character and not doing anything else for the rest of the movie.

Review: The Harder They Come

1. In general, what did you like and dislike about the film?

I think that the thing a I like the most about the film was that it felt like a unique vision from an underrepresent culture in media (like the Jamaican one). It really felt like nothing that i have seen before, and I think the reason for that is the style that is a mixture between some really amateur moments (notoriously, the fight with knives with that fake blood) and some really good themes plot-wise, that makes the film as a whole an experience that feels genuine. 

In terms of what I didn't like, the plot can feel rushed, specially in the transformation of the main character, who went from an guy with dreams to a murderer too quickly in my opinion. The other thing that bothered me was that even thought the music is great, it can feel repetitive after a while.

2. Who is your favorite character from the film?

I feel like the main character (Ivan Martin, interpreted by Jimmy Cliff) is the best character, mainly because is the most complex. Seeing a person with dreams become an evil guy who is capable of killing people is always interesting in art, but if you see him as a representation of how capitalism takes advantage of you, and if you're not a puppet for them, it's difficult that you can become someone makes the character even more interesting. I also like the "Joker" vibes that are coming from him in the second half of the movie.

3. Would you recommend this film to someone, why/why not?

I' ve already done it, mainly because it's always good to watch movies from different parts of the world, and not staying with the American or European vision, but also, like i said before, it feels like something unique, even in the worst parts, and although someone can disagree and say that it's a bad movie, i feel like at least it's bad in an interesting way, and something interesting is always better than something mediocre. 

4. How does this film contribute to postcolonial identity?

A lot. It's true that the film is really influenced by American films, so someone can argue that there are still marks from colonialism in this movie (even though the "American colonialism" was more indirect than the British one), but I feel like is taking those influences and making them their own combining them with the Jamaican culture, and someone can make the case that that was happening in the time in Jamaica, it was not about erasing the British or American influences, mainly because those were so violently put in and last for so long, that made them imposible to erase, so the solution to reclaim a culture that was lost, it was to combine the origins of that culture and mixing them with the colonial influences, so as a representation of the times, it works really good. The film is also a representation of Jamaica that was not leaded by stereotypes and showed a more real Jamaica than any film before, this serves as a way of showing how the country is, instead of be locked by the "first world" vision, and a claim of the culture for Jamaican people