Boyz N The Hood

Boyz N The Hood was powerful to me for many reasons. Firstly, it had a very genuine feel to it; it didn't feel "Hollywoodized" for the sake of making money. So many films with violent themes are simply spectacles of guns, blood, suspense. I felt like this movie had soul to it, which brings me to another reason why I enjoyed it. It was a moving film, it had a self reflexivity for the purpose of sending out a message ("Increase the Peace"). It did a very good job of highlighting the cycle of violence that never ends unless a person is instilled with good morals and becomes a parent with good judgement (Tre's father). This related to a view I take: hate is always taught. It is a learned behavior from one person to another, usually parent to child. No one is born already being a violent person, somewhere in their childhood they learn that hate and anger is the only way to deal with life and what it brings.
As with so many other movies I have seen, something that angered me in the film was the attitude of the police. Although there are many honorable policemen /women out there, there are many who are not. It is a huge injustice in our country that so many people are mistreated by the people who are being paid to protect us. This made me realize that hate and crime is not just a theme of the street, but in any situation in which people are fighting for power. Many bad policemen/women become officers because they need to be in a place of power, just like people in gangs.
Overall I thought Boyz N The Hood was convincing and successful as a message to all people in violent environments.