Youth gangs often band together because of their ethnocentric nature. Romper Stomper pits the Aussie gang against immigrant Vietnamese youths. In Year of the Dragon , Chinese youth gangs rule the streets in ruthless fashion, often working at the bidding of their elders, waiting for the moment that they will be accepted into the underworld fraternity. Blood In, Blood Out , Taylor Hackford s epic view on the street gangs of Los Angeles, details the Hispanic youth experience. Blackboard Jungle uses a familiar tactic to portray the alienation and violence of ghetto kids.
School is the setting that initiates the fireworks of that film.
Stand and Deliver , which starred Edward James Olmos as an inspirational teacher, covered the same ground in an updated setting and is based on the life of Jaime Escalante. It is interesting to see Sidney Poitier transformed from the young tough of Blackboard Jungle to the role of teacher in To Sir with Love . Recent years have seen a proliferation of black youth pictures, as young filmmakers are getting their chance to express themselves. Looking at the frustrations and seductiveness of the ghetto, the Hughes Brothers, John Singleton, Matty Rich and other novice black directors have made their mark on the industry with frightening and vital visits to the darkness that plagues minorities. Straight Out of Brooklyn , and South Central are all films that succeed in looking at the plight of youths in the ghetto and the limited escape routes that are open to them.