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.