The movie Set It Off depicts a journey of three women that struggle to survive in a highly competitive and racist world. It features Jada Pinkett Smith, Kimberly Elise, Queen Latifah, and Vivica A. Fox. In addition, it was produced in 1996 and attracted criticism and praise from different people. This essay explains the gang activities of the main characters of the movie.
These four women (main characters) were brought together by different predicaments and sought ways of solving them through all means available to them. Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) was fired on account that she collaborated with a bank robber to steal from her employer (Koules and Pollock 1996). She joined her three friends in a janitorial company and realized that life was unfair to them. They worked hard to make ends meet, but nothing ever changed in their lives. Stoney’s brother is shot dead by mistake after being suspected to have been part of the gang that robbed a bank where Frankie used to work (Koules and Pollock 1996). The disappointments become unmanageable, and these women decide to start robbing banks to become rich and solve their problems.
Unity is an important aspect that brings together members of criminal gangs (Hagan 2012). They collaborate in doing anything they think will make them rich. T.T. (Elise Kimberley) objects to their involvement in criminal activities, but later she is influenced to accept and take part in them. In addition, the gang has rules that every member has to respect and follow. They are not allowed to socialize with men because they think they are responsible for their problems.
Stoney is warned and asked to stop seeing Keith (Blair Underwood) because this is against the rules of the gang (Koules and Pollock 1996). Moreover, the producer depicts the gang as being united by similar situations. Frankie is accused of planning a bank robbery while Stoney’s brother is shot dead mistakenly. T.T.’s child was taken by children’s officers after she became irresponsible and left her child without proper care. Cleopatra (Queen Latifah) was born and raised in the slums and experienced bullying and other social evils associated with low life.
Gangs engage in criminal activities to get money, intimidate the public and make their presence known in society (Valdez 2009). These women use drugs and other substances that affect the health of individuals. They drink at all times and engage in conversations about drugs. Their close associates are drug dealers and spend most of their time sniffing cocaine and other substances. In addition, they engage in criminal activities to make ends meet. The initial plan was to rob a bank and get rich; however, they realize that robbery was a quick way of getting ready money and living an expensive lifestyle (Koules and Pollock 1996).
They were unable to resist robbing other banks and getting more money to sustain their high life. The producer shows how easy money lures people into criminal activities and makes them forget that their days are numbered. Lastly, they find themselves killing other people to protect themselves. Tisean killed her employer who had stolen their loot and threatened to kill Cleopatra.
The movie Set It Off is a true reflection of what criminal gangs do to terrorize civilians. It depicts the war between criminals and security agencies and how each of them affects the activities of the other. The producer proved that the struggle to make ends meet brings together people with similar predicaments. He believed that crime does not pay; therefore, people should look for other alternatives to solving their problems.
References
Hagan, F. E. (2012). Introduction to Criminology: Theories, Methods, and Criminal Behavior. California: Sage Publishers.
Koules, O. and Pollock. D. (1996). Set It Off . California: New Line Cinema.
Valdez, A. (2009). Gangs: A Guide to Understanding Street Gangs. New York: LawTech Publishing Group.