Clockers is directed by Spike Lee who also co-adapts the screenplay with Richard Price from Price's own novel of the same name. It stars Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Delroy Lindo, Mekhi Phifer, Isaiah Washington, Keith David, Peewee Love and Regina Taylor. Music is scored by Terence Blanchard and cinematography by Malik Hassan Sayeed.
Young drug pushers in the projects of Brooklyn (Clockers) are caught between loyalty to their drug boss and the detectives out to stop them.
It's not as incendiary as one might expect of a Spike Lee joint, but the director's concerns and astute knack for story telling are very prominent features. It was originally going to be a Martin Scorses film, but he chose to make Casino instead, he does, however, get a producing credit and you can see in the material why Scorsese was interested in directing. Pic is basically a take on urban drug dealing in the Brooklyn projects and the impact said dealing has on anyone who comes into contact with it. From the downward spiral of life for young men earning their pay by illegal means, to fretful mothers desperately trying to keep pe-teen kiddies from joining the ranks of what they think are cool operators, the morality of the play is forcibly rammed home by Lee. Unfortunately this comes at a cost to the white cop characters, who are too thinly drawn to offer up a law and order counter point to the illegal activity involving drugs and murder, they serve only as the "man", and damn the "man" at that. The Rocco Klein (Keitel) of the book is not evident here, sadly, while Torturo may as well not be in it! Cast performances are well in tune with the material, with Lindo as the "black godfather" turning in a scary one, and Lee's camera-work, coupled with Sayeed's moody photography, has a nifty grasp of realism. Soundtracking is soulful and pleasant.
A mixed bag for sure, but it's a story that needs to be told. Bleak and brutal at times, but still offering hope, it's middle tier Spike Lee that always remains intriguing. Even if it at times feels like he was bored telling yet another "black on black is bad" message movie. 7/10
Young drug pushers in the projects of Brooklyn (Clockers) are caught between loyalty to their drug boss and the detectives out to stop them.
It's not as incendiary as one might expect of a Spike Lee joint, but the director's concerns and astute knack for story telling are very prominent features. It was originally going to be a Martin Scorses film, but he chose to make Casino instead, he does, however, get a producing credit and you can see in the material why Scorsese was interested in directing. Pic is basically a take on urban drug dealing in the Brooklyn projects and the impact said dealing has on anyone who comes into contact with it. From the downward spiral of life for young men earning their pay by illegal means, to fretful mothers desperately trying to keep pe-teen kiddies from joining the ranks of what they think are cool operators, the morality of the play is forcibly rammed home by Lee. Unfortunately this comes at a cost to the white cop characters, who are too thinly drawn to offer up a law and order counter point to the illegal activity involving drugs and murder, they serve only as the "man", and damn the "man" at that. The Rocco Klein (Keitel) of the book is not evident here, sadly, while Torturo may as well not be in it! Cast performances are well in tune with the material, with Lindo as the "black godfather" turning in a scary one, and Lee's camera-work, coupled with Sayeed's moody photography, has a nifty grasp of realism. Soundtracking is soulful and pleasant.
A mixed bag for sure, but it's a story that needs to be told. Bleak and brutal at times, but still offering hope, it's middle tier Spike Lee that always remains intriguing. Even if it at times feels like he was bored telling yet another "black on black is bad" message movie. 7/10