The crack epidemic of the 1980’s proved to be a boon for
drug dealers, law makers, and the American media alike. By the latter half of the decade, it had
permeated the American consciousness via endless news coverage and fear
mongering. Strangely, it had yet to receive
a crime film that purported to put the phenomenon in perspective. Scarface
had mythologized the “Cocaine Cowboys” era of Miami in way that still resonates
today. The gangster films released by
Warner Brothers pictures during the 1930’s paid tribute to the kingpins and
vices of that particular era, to the delight of that days movie audiences. Was crack cocaine not worthy of similar honors? Again, Warner Brothers pictures sought to
properly dramatize the prevailing criminal trends of the era and reap the
financial rewards. On March 8th
1991, American moviegoers were given a guided tour of New Jack City.
As the movie opens, the winds of change are sweeping through
Harlem. Crack cocaine has overtaken
smack as the drug of choice. A local
crew known as the Cash Money Brothers adjusts to the changing market place. Under the leadership of the ruthless Nino
Brown (Wesley Snipes), the CMB cut a bloody swath through the New York City
Underworld. Determined to bust up their
operation, Undercover cops Scottie Appleton (Ice-T) and Nick Perretti (Judd
Nelson) use unorthodox methods to infiltrate an apartment complex that has
fallen under CMB control. When that
attempt fails tragically, Appleton becomes even more determined to destroy the
CMB. He poses as a drug dealer in order
to penetrate their inner circle. The
closer he gets to his goal, the more personal his quest becomes.
Since the hysteria surrounding the crack epidemic was largely
fueled by the American news media, it’s quite fitting that the first movie
about it was largely inspired by a newspaper article. New
Jack City started out as an original story and screenplay by Thomas Lee
Wright. Writer and Harlem native Barry
Michael Cooper was hired to do a rewrite.
The film’s title was inspired by a 1987 Village Voice article penned by Cooper titled “Kids Killing Kids:
New Jack City Eats Its Young.” The
article detailed how the crack trade had further decimated the already ailing
city of Detroit.
The entire film was informed by the same sense of alarmism
that fueled media coverage of the crack epidemic. Mario Van Peebles, perhaps worried about
potential fallout from community leaders and activists, basically turns the
film into a feature length anti-drug PSA.
Nowhere is this more apparent, and heavy handed than in the epilogue
that ends the film:
"If we in America
don't confront the problem of crack cocaine and other drugs
realistically—without empty slogans and promises but by examining what motors
the human soul on the course of spiritual self-destruction—then the New Jack
City shall continue to thrive, and we shall forever be doomed to despair in the
shadows of its demonic skyline."
Alas, such sentiments ultimately come off as posturing. Van Peebles sensational approach to the
material completely undermines the supposed intended message. At its core, New Jack City is essentially an exploitation film masquerading as
something more meaningful. When the CMB dispatch
of a Jamaican crack dealer known as Smitty in order to take over his spot, the
entire moment is rendered in Dutch angles that give it a surreal feel. It even ends with CMB member Keisha
delivering a one liner. It’s geared to
generate excitement in the viewer as opposed to making them recoil in
horror.
New Jack City was
perhaps the first film to acknowledge Hip-Hop as a mainstay of American pop
culture. While earlier films attempted
to sell the culture to the mainstream, New
Jack City simply regarded it as part of the milieu where the story takes
place. In New Jack City Hip-Hop is already a given. It’s a fact of life in Harlem.
In the eye of the maelstrom is Nino Brown. Wesley Snipes delivers what can only be
called a career making performance. Nino
is the ultimate capitalist. Unlike his
cinematic idol Tony Montana, he does not get high on his own supply. Power is his drug, and his appetite is
insatiable. Both Leroy “Nicky” Barnes
and Felix “The Cat” Mitchell have been named as inspirations for the
character. Regardless of where his
origins lie, Nino is one for the ages.
His megalomania utterly energizes what is otherwise a serviceable
Blaxploitation picture.
![]() |
Wesley Snipes as Nino Brown. |
No comments:
Post a Comment