Clockers is a crime film centered around a young drug dealer named Strike. His boss wants him to kill an ex-dealer who stole from him. Strike is the first suspect when the man is found dead. However, his brother confesses to the homicide before investigations commence. The investigator does not believe him and suspects that he is covering up for Strike and continues investigating. Through this story, I got a visceral look into the urban drug trade and understood the despair of living in neighborhoods where murders seem to be the order of the day.
The movie provides a realistic look into the drug dealing culture of gun-packing youths as they waste their lives terrorizing their neighborhoods and always on the run from police. It may be full of ambiguity, but the central message is clear; that this kind of life is despondent and should stop. I found the use of horrific crime scene photos of brain spills from shot skulls, slash marks, creased throats and cheeks, and torsos on pools of blood to be an effective way of showing the gravity of the impacts of the violent drug trade in a community.
I could especially sympathize with the anxious mother who feared that her son would get involved in the clocking world. As part of the audience, I feel that Lee manages to make us understand the situation from this mother’s perspective. We recognize how life in such neighborhoods can be devastating for those not interested in the clocking world.
I can describe Clockers as a primeval crime movie that was ahead of its time. We get a powerful look into the urban drug trade and the grievous impact it has on communities. It is a compelling mystery that delivers on a different level due to a sharp script and excellent character performances. The movie’s themes continue to resonate to date since as much as the characters, location, and technology may change, the devastating impacts of avoidable death would always linger.