powerful yet ironic

Rating: Null/10 (20 March 2002)

for me this film is a hugely powerful film. It deals with the struggle of everyday life of a teenage kid breaking under peer pressure and following suit with the rest of the gang only to fall fowl to the concequencies of his own actions. The closing sequence of this film is one of the most powerful and dramatic scenes in any film I have ever seen. I love the way that the film constantly puts you in the position of both Danny and Derek but especially for the end scene building us up to a shocking climax. The irony at the end is that derek had spent his teenage years full with racial hatered but changed that in prison only for that change to be countered when a black kid kills his brother This symbolises for me that perhaps you can't change and shows the vulnerability of children to their peers. overall the film highlights the frailty of relationships between inter-races and shows that a lot has to be done to take away the racial tension.