When I saw the trailer I knew the movie wasnt gonna be well received.
From what it sounds like, the title of the movie is kinda misleading. Everything ive read so far implies that outside of Nick Cannons Character (whose name is "Chi-Raq"), the Chicago setting is mere window dressing and that the movie offers no specific meaning commentary on the Violent Crime Epidemic in Chicago. Which is a huge misstep on Spikes part.
For about 3 years now, Chicagos violence has occupied a cultural fascination. Ever since Chief Keef blew up, the ever shifting street politics has been a huge topic of discussion on the internet. Not even a year ago I remember on Boxden, a "Chi-Wire" thread dedicated to the most recent bit of Street Beef news occurting in the Chi had a constant presence on the first page of the Hip Hop subforum. Im sure every forum had something of that nature.
People are interested in Chicago because no one really knows why its so bad or why these kids are just so hopelessly murderous. Is it because these people are what remains of Cabrini Green? Crack babies? Government black ops? No one really has a real, substantial, SATISFYING answer.
(Honestly I also think its due to the fact that no one wants to believe that WE AS A SOCIETY failed a generation that bad. That the crack era taught us nothing)
Regardless, I think people were genuinely excited about Spikes Movie. Excited in the sense that one of our greatest artist who in the past has made work that has defined zeitgeists in Black America, would now tackle Chi-Raq and hopefully make sense out of it all.
Too bad Spike is still Spike. He prefers allegory and musical numbers. Spike is also in his 50s. At some point you lose touch.
And lets keep it real, a film with the title "Chi-Raq" implies a look at the nihilistic violence, poverty, and decadence of Young Black Males. But the movie was made 22 years ago. Its called "Menace II Society". True "Menace" was a snapshot of South Central LA rather than Chicago, but really, is O-Dog drastically different than the cold blooded killer persona that a rapper like RondoNumba9 portrayed and lived?
Isnt it sad that the "accurate" depiction of Chicago that people wanted would be identical in theme and message to hood dramas made 25 years ago?
..I feel like Spike is goin back to Bamboozled/Clockers holdin a mirror up to where we are and a lil bit of School Daze to show that what we always do to ourselves is even worse than the powers that be gettin away with murder...again smdh
