a5c7b9f00b This action film, directed by the Hughes brothers, depicts a heist of old bills, retired from circulation and destined by the government to be &quot;money to burn.&quot; However, more broadly, it addresses the issues of Black Americans&#39; involvement in the Vietnam War and their subsequent disillusionment with progress in social issues and civil rights back home in the United States, during the 1960&#39;s. A Vietnam vet adjusts to life after the war while trying to support his family, but the chance of a better life may involve crime and bloodshed. I love the ghetto/gangster genre, always have. I&#39;ve been looking forward to watching Dead Presidents for quite some time and I wasn&#39;t disappointed. The movie documents the life of Anthony through growing up in the hood, to joining the marines in Vietnam and finally the heist. I think the Vietnam element is a fairly unique take on the genre, but there are some parts that left me like eh? Suchthe soldier who was found in the jungle with his penis cut off and shoved in his mouth. Now, while this leads to him having to take his friends life and we&#39;re supposed to see how this effect him, it&#39;s pretty ridiculous that he doesn&#39;t bleed to death or seem to be in much agony. I know they say you go numb after being shot etc but seriously the guy would be screaming, and not only that his tackle was sitting on the floor, would&#39;ve been better if they&#39;d just had to kill him there and then. Apart from that I enjoyed it. I expected the robbery aspect to be a bigger theme and not just the story ending, but nevertheless it was enjoyable and I&#39;d definitely watch it again. The Hughes Brothers film Dead Presidents existsone the most (arguably) realistic human dramas ever made. Many people refer to thisa &quot;blaxpoitation film&quot;, but this only how the movie is portrayed. I have seen this film many times (firsta 9-year old, if you can imagine that) and it still remains one of my favourites. I have read other user comments on this film and it seems that the problem most viewers have with it is the uneven plot. So for the person reading this who has not seen this film, please read the following:<br/><br/>Dead Presidents is not a concept film in the obvious sense. I won&#39;t explain the plot and story (everyone else seems to have their own ideas) but this film does give many messages. Other reviewers claim this tries to be a war movie or a heist movie or a love story all at once. If anything, call this a &quot;culture&quot; movie. Yes, this film does display the worst possible scenarios in a person&#39;s life, but this is not to say that life isn&#39;t like this for many people. A few things to remember when watching this film: <br/><br/>(1)Do not watch this film if you don&#39;t enjoy films that portray something less than positivity for your viewing pleasure. People who prefer &quot;soft&quot; films that show kindness, warmth, love, etc. will ineviably be in a rut by the film&#39;s end.If this film leaves you in a state of angst by the end, it&#39;s just because that&#39;s what the film tries for, so don&#39;t trip! (2) There are racial undertones in this movie!!! This is not to say that a white person can&#39;t enjoy this film, but be prepared. I viewed this with a friend (who is white) and he was angryhell by the end of film, making comments like, &quot;Life&#39;s not really like that!&quot; (3) The violence portrayed in this film is (over-the-top) quite extreme, but this is necessary for the story. Everyone has already pointed out all the most gruesome scenes in previous reviews, so if you&#39;ve read previous reviews, you know what to look forward to. Don&#39;t expect any restraint in the depictions of the darker side of mankind. (4) Trying to guess the plot before viewing is completely pointless. One of the best ideas behind this film is it&#39;s unpredictability. Sure, earlier scenes might foreshadow something later, but if you think you have it figured out, you&#39;ll most likely be disappointed.<br/><br/>The acting in this film is incredible. No one gives an even mediocre performance (this due impart to the cast: What would you expect from Larenz Tate in one of his best performances, Chris Tucker in a serious roll, and even a young Terrence Howard?) A lot of the film&#39;s best acting comes not from the dialogue (which isn&#39;t anything extraordinary), but from the voice tones and expressions. Look at Chris Tucker&#39;s eyesthe film spins out toward the end, or Keith David&#39;s rocky voice in his portrayalthe old man Kirby. *The scene where Tucker kills the cop in the heist is one of the most realistic scenes I&#39;ve ever seen in a movie. Also, this is one of the most brilliantly shot films I&#39;ve ever seen. From the war scenes in &#39;Nam to the borough of the Bronx in the 70&#39;s, settings and cinematography,wellthe film&#39;s soundtrack are all on point, more so than many of today&#39;s disappointing films. Yes, the Hughes Brothers may pay homage to other directors, particularly in the war scenes, but any one who says they are &quot;biting&quot; earlier styles is definitely a critic (and nothing more). This film&#39;s pacing is hardly slow, it just doesn&#39;t move like a mindless action flick. It seeks to show you not just the struggle of the black male (as many people drew this from it), but the struggles of anyone put in circumstances beyond their control. (I&#39;m not agreeing the films final sequences, just pointing out the idea.) Life is not simplistic or happy for these characters, but rather like a hustle to come upon something better. I have dealt with these emotions myself, so I can appreciate what the Hughes Brothers are portraying, and will admit a slight bias to the film. If you have seen Menace II Society, then you have an idea of what to expect. <br/><br/>Overall, Dead Presidents attempts to display what gives rise to blues music: the trials of people, and the choices and consequences of human action. Watch the film, draw a conclusion, but don&#39;t assume anything.<br/><br/>*****Oh, and for those of you who couldn&#39;t seem to figure out the film&#39;s title: these are what are on U.S. currency (dollar bills), aka M-O-N-E-Y, which is what the character&#39;s are trying to O-B-T-A-I-N!
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364 weeks ago