“Straight Outta Compton” Directed by F. Gary Gray: Analysis Essay (Critical Writing)

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Introduction

Straight Outta Compton is a biopic of NWA (Niggaz Wit Attitudes group), from which popular worldwide performers such as Dr. Dre and Ice Cube came. NWA stood at the origins of the now familiar gangsta rap. They were one of the first music creators who brought rap and bit to a new level of racial considerations. Their radical views and dare texts allowed the group to gain the audience’s love and support. The ideas of the group conveyed through the music voiced what the people had long felt but could not find their herald among the musicians, who would express it clearly. Despite being primarily the biopic representing the biographic aspect of group formation, the story also conveys the cultural and racial views relevant to those time periods. The film contains various Hollywood stereotypes regarding black people’s criminal life, emphasizing that the culture of African-Americans is a vital component of the United States.

Hollywood Stereotypes

Racial issues today are an inherent component of the American culture. Race policy in the United States significantly affects the film industry, which contributes to forming particular stereotypical patterns of movies-creation (Martin 63). Race stereotypes are one of the basic principles on which the hierarchy of characters is built (Erigha 5). Besides, in the case of Straight Outta Compton, the director strives to show the adverse conditions of black people. The main storyline is dedicated to the history of the group.

One common cause of group creation is a fight with the police, then distrust, creative differences, connections with crime, and as a result – a whole new direction in music, the voice of a generation. In other words, the film represents the typical Hollywood stereotypical image of black people. Despite the widespread of this stereotype that black people are often connected with criminals, the director strives to show that the African American ghetto is also a vital aspect of US culture. NWA achieved such popularity only because the members overcame many race-related difficulties.

Implicit Ideas

The story of the boys who escaped from the bandit environment with the help of their talents is only one side of the coin. The second is a general feeling of tension between whites and blacks on the West Coast right before the 1992 Los Angeles Riot. The director used multi-tasking approach that turned another musical film into a racial manifesto. In other words, the film addresses the social construct of American society through the prism of the cultural and racial Hollywood stereotypes. Colour skin related inequality and discrimination have formed the particular image of typical black youth shown in the movies. The director chooses the biopic of the popular group to show that the difficulties make people create music that touches the hearts of the audience. Using the stereotypical image of the black, the director emphasizes the significance of the black culture.

Conclusion

Straight Outta Compton is the film that allocates many vital for the culture of America topics: racial, musical, and ideological. The director represents the ideas through the prism of the well-established concept of the criminal black people who managed to make their way to fame. Straight Outta Compton emphasizes the idea that difficulties and dreams can lead people to being heard by others even. The typical Hollywood stereotypes are masterfully used in this film to show the implicit views of the importance of black culture.

Works Cited

Erigha, Maryann. The Hollywood Jim Crow: The Racial Politics of the Movie Industry. NYU Press, 2019.

Martin, Alfred. “Blackbusting Hollywood: Racialized Media Reception, Failure, and The Wiz as Black Blockbuster.” Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, vol. 60, no. 1, 2021, pp. 56-79. doi:10.1353/cj.2021.0003

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IvyPanda. ""Straight Outta Compton" Directed by F. Gary Gray: Analysis." May 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/straight-outta-compton-directed-by-f-gary-gray-analysis/.

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