Dolemite wrote:

] I saw the movie yesterday, so I thought I'd chime in with the
] Do|emite system of ratings. My scale is the following:
]
] Full Price
] Matinee
] Yank off the 'net
] Wait for HBO
] Wait for Free TV
]
] '8 Mile' was interesting enough to watch as a matinee, but I
] think that the main reason it raked in $54 M this weekend is
] the star appeal of Eminem. The plot works just like every
] Spiderman comic - hero is kicked, beaten down and humiliated,
] then he gets the strength to fight back and wins. I was
] surprised that there really only seemed to be one Eminem song
] in the movie itself - "One Shot" - but the story really
] doesn't lend itself to more than that. Detroit in '95 is
] pictured as revolving around rap battles, a la Showtime at the
] Apollo. You either get booed off stage or you shred your
] opponent. Oh, and the women in B-Rabbit's life (just like in
] Eminem's) are viewed much the same way as Eugene O'Neil (great
] American playwright) sees them. Think "misogynism to the
] extreme."

I will admit my bias on this subject upfront, being a Detroiter and happy to see the cultural significance of the city finally getting some respect over the last few years. But I thought the movie was one of the best films I've seen since Donnie Darko.

Yes, the plot structure is somewhat familiar, but in our post modern world, what isn't? And the rap battles are used because that was pretty much the only way someone was going to get 'discovered', especially in Detroit in 95, which was not anywhere near being a place where rap talent was being scouted. Think back to 95... it was East/West Coast gangsta rap with the occasional thinkers (Busta Rhymes, Pharcyde, Beasties...). There was not much like Eminem's style back then. It is representative of the first rungs on the ladder that need to be conquored. Brutal, unforgiving, and fueled with testosterone.

Lost on the audience was the major transformation from industrial music and hard core alternative that was the scene at the Shelter/St. Andrews Hall (and all across the rust belt) to hip hop and underground black music during the early 90s. A big reason why a lot of us angry white guys suddenly found ourselves out of a job. And why someone like Eminem could even exist.

The point of the movie I think was that you can come from fierce adversity and still make positive momentum in your life. As Decius pointed out, this was portrayed with talent, when it's usually the result of skill. But I thought it was admirably portrayed that even the best are frail and have their moments of weakness and uncertainty. On your journey to making something of yourself, you will choke, be confused by your friends and allies, fall prey to temptation, sleep with the wrong people, be distracted by domestic issues, and get the shit kicked out of you from time to time. All of these things happened to the protagonist, and most of it was within his own control. You have to learn to take advantage of your opportunities, however they may come, in order to rise above all of that. And I took that as the movies main theme (and has been the theme in my life as well).

When you think about it, that's a very respectable theme coming from someone who's pinned with propagating hate speech, misogyny, and other 'immoral' behavior. Em did a good job portraying basically himself and the theme. Plus the acting by the supporting cast was very well done (although I thought Britney Murphy's character was basically nothing more than a plot device and pretty much useless). I think Kim Basinger will get overlooked, despite her impressive performance.

I don't think that it was meant that women are specifically singled out as 'objects'. If you look at everything in the movie, EVERYTHING is an obstacle. Friends, work, family, yourself... everything. If anything, I think the point that was trying to be made was that you may indeed have to sacrifice intimate relationships (family, friends, etc) in order to focus on your goals.

Overall, I'd give 8 Mile high praise. In the pantheon of movies that star or are reflective of music artists (any Elvis movie through Purple Rain through the Bodyguard and beyond) it hands down has the best message and certainly great execution. It is incredibly accurate in it's portrayal of what it's like to grow up in the ruins of a dead city. It is not just an Eminem ego-fest. It is the story of what it's like to come from garbage and turn it into gold step by step.

RE: Detroit Shows Its True Grit in '8 Mile' - 11/6/02