A newfound respect for rap

Rating: 8/10 (31 October 2011)

I've never been a fan of rap music. I've never had any interest in it and its never been enjoyable to listen to for me. However, after watching 8 Mile I have developed a whole new respect for freestyle rap artists. I didn't use the more generic term "rappers" for a reason. I've developed a respect for the actual artists of the genre, the true poets and lyrical aficionados within the genre. Especially Eminiem, the lead in the film who plays Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, an impoverished young guy living in Detroit, just trying to make it out alive. The movie tells his story about his desire to make it big and all of the other factors holding him back. He is constantly barraged with problems concerning his mom and her abusive boyfriend, his friends who get him in nothing but trouble, and surviving as a white guy in a society dominated by African Americans. His make it or break it story is so compelling and so moving that it almost makes me want to start listening to Eminem.
At first it is hard to get into 8 Mile. On the outside so many of the characters in this film seem like a bunch of useless punks whose lives are going nowhere. From the first few minutes of the film we get the impression that we won't be able to connect with these somewhat pathetic characters. But as the movie progresses and grows more dramatic and more emotionally gripping we begin to see these characters as deep and complex humans whose stories are meaningful and who do serve a purpose in creating an all around excellent narrative. I never thought I could care so much about Eminem, but his portrayal of B-Rabbit makes me want to cheer for him all the way amidst his never ending hardships. There are a few characters who don't seem to grow throughout the movie and I had the same feelings about them at the end as I did in the beginning. But the important characters are the ones who I really grew to enjoy as I felt compelled to see and hear their story.
But what really makes 8 Mile work is the overall atmosphere and the superb way in which the chaos and insanity of poverty stricken Detroit operates. The dirty and musky city streets against the dark and ragged cityscapes accentuate this film's bleak atmosphere perfectly. It helps that it was actually shot in Detroit, but Curtis Hanson, the film's director, does an excellent job of framing all of his shots to capture Detroit in the somber light he wanted it in, full of false hope and empty promises that only a true fighter can overcome.
Credit also goes out to the screenwriter, Scott Silver, for doing such a fantastic job at capturing the fast moving, jumbled, cluttered dialect of the characters in the movie. The way they yell, argue, and talk over each other really gives the sense that these are real characters in real situations, thus making us more interested and more gripped by the emotional storyline. There is a cadence here dominated by slang and slickness, not to mention the actual raps which consist of some of the foulest yet hilariously entertaining put downs you'll ever hear. It's where the true poetry of rap comes in. 8 Mile really puts forth an effort to make rap seem like an art, rather than a joke and the results are excellent. This movie is an absolute triumph and shouldn't be missed.