I would like to give a shout out to two promising filmmakers from the Park Hill Posse for their dramatic interpretation of a SWAT team standoff in the Park Hill neighborhood titled "Da Block". The documentary brilliantly utilizes the "Flawed Hero" storyline to put a positive spin on the indiscretions of impoverished youth.
Set against the tough and gritty backdrop of the Park Hill Housing Projects, this short film starts with a bang as our hero, Johnny McKinney (armed felon), attempts to rid the area of a seedy alcohol dispensing establishment (liquor store) located at 13th and Hill Streets. Having been denied the opportunities of good education and stable upbringing, our flawed hero Johnny devises an equally flawed plan to rid the community of this urban plight by means of an armed response (robbery), striking fear in the hearts of those profiting from the misery of others and therefore forcing them to leave. With his mission completed he seeks refuge amongst those he tries to help believing, in his mind, that they will shelter him from any fallout caused by his actions. This belief is shattered when he learns of a "Judas" among the faithful.
Although the liquor store provides us with cause and reason for the crime it is still largely a "Faceless Villain". Without a clear villain, the viewers would lack the focus necessary to sympathize with the struggles our hero encounters. The filmmakers foresee the problem and decide to compliment the faceless villain with some very visible and equally malevolent cohorts, the police. Under the guise of the law and acting on the information provided by the aforementioned "Judas", the police are called to take away our hero for his so-called crimes from the very neighborhood he was trying to help. This action embeds the subtle yet unmistakable irony that the police are the true armed robbers, snatching away anyone who is characterized as a threat to the establishment's status-quo.
Filmmakers: "Young Bell" & "Dirty Money"
Grade: B+
The only lacking element is the absence of a strong and nurturing romantic involvement for our hero. The lack of which may turn away some female viewers, although there is the underlying assumption that our hero will become romantically involved with a strong nurturer after being carted off to prison.
Rating: R
Adult situations, Language
Interpretations:
The "Yellow Line", alluded to by both the police and onlookers, is really a metaphor for the social and economic sanctions that lay siege to the downtrodden.
On the whole, "Da Block" works for the aforesaid reasons (honest conjecture, gritty locales and vibrant action).