Fight The Power

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2011)

In another era of American film, James Stewart might have been cast to star in this film. Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith Jr. (played by rapper, Eminem) is cast as a classic under-dog who overcomes incredible odds to achieve his dream. In one of James Stewart's most memorable roles, he portrayed a character who faced up to impossible odds, and vindicated himself from a political corruption debacle on the floor of the United States Senate. In 8 MILE, down-and-out White rapper, "Rabbit" Smith, in a stunning upset, wins over a skeptical audience, and triumphs as a major player on the city's musical scene. And, in an ironic use of Race, the fact that he is a White Man, in nearly all-Black Detroit, Michigan, only plays as one more strike against him. 8 MILE also boasts a great supporting cast, and Marshall Mathers (Eminem) has a very engaging Screen Presence.