Perhaps eclipsing the recent Spellbound as the best documentary of the last few years, The Freshest Kids brilliantly chronicles the birth, death, and reemergence of the B Boy and all encompassing facets of break culture.
Director Israel's passion for the B Boy world exudes with every frame, and the work put into such a film constitutes the highest acclaim. Being a B Boy student myself, this movie solidifies itself as the ultimate primer on hip hop, graffiti art, and of course highlights power moves, top rock, flair, low rock, and freezes as it tries to reaffirm breakin as a cultural phenomenon refusing to fade. The Freshest Kids touches on the dismantling of breakin by the government and the transition to crime many dancers took after the saturation of the market in the 80s. The reunions of today are still pockmarked by cop interference. At one point, B Boy "elder" Crazy Legs turns to the camera after riot cops rain in, "All this over dancing..."
Even if I hated everything hip hop, the film itself is done with such technical and directorial deftness that I would have taken notice and commended it.
It's hard to express what b-boying does to you, it's too visceral to try explaining. However, this film is such a charge to the core that it's impossible to not want to battle right after seeing it. I suck so I'd get burned right away but after the moves showcased in this movie, I'm humbled already.
Director Israel's passion for the B Boy world exudes with every frame, and the work put into such a film constitutes the highest acclaim. Being a B Boy student myself, this movie solidifies itself as the ultimate primer on hip hop, graffiti art, and of course highlights power moves, top rock, flair, low rock, and freezes as it tries to reaffirm breakin as a cultural phenomenon refusing to fade. The Freshest Kids touches on the dismantling of breakin by the government and the transition to crime many dancers took after the saturation of the market in the 80s. The reunions of today are still pockmarked by cop interference. At one point, B Boy "elder" Crazy Legs turns to the camera after riot cops rain in, "All this over dancing..."
Even if I hated everything hip hop, the film itself is done with such technical and directorial deftness that I would have taken notice and commended it.
It's hard to express what b-boying does to you, it's too visceral to try explaining. However, this film is such a charge to the core that it's impossible to not want to battle right after seeing it. I suck so I'd get burned right away but after the moves showcased in this movie, I'm humbled already.
