THE NEW BLACK REALISM

Aggression became the main feature of the New Land as they called it (Cox, 2016, p. Although the Native American tribes also have the history of violence by attacking each other, the arrival of the white imperialists fueled the animosity. The white settlers completely destroyed the most of Ancient Americans’ habitats, a move which was retaliated by aggression from the indigenous people. Black people were shipped into the America’s as slaves. The African-American population did not forget the racial experiences they have encountered for centuries. The white community used the African-American slaves to fight their fellow whites. The Emancipation Proclamation of 1865 ended the slavery but it did not end racism. The African-American society did not forget the painful experiences they encountered for over 400 years.

The memories of racism remained fresh in the minds of African American people. Racial prejudices led to the coining of the word New Black Realism which sought to showcase to the world how the black urban male is perceived in the white dominated America. Boyz N The Hood was released in 1991 while the Menace II Society was produced in 1993. The primary role of the two movies was to portray that New Black Realism was a political attempt to reanimate effective shock in its images and form. The horrific history has divided the nation into communities that define themselves by their skin colors. The African-American filmmakers took it upon themselves to highlight their dissatisfactions towards such divisions that have evolved into racial discrimination.

The New Black Realism was influenced by the Hip Hop culture which had started gaining momentum in America in early 1990s. Lee claimed that Tarantino’s decision to use blackface and black voice was hell-bent in making the movies look cool and appealing to most Americans while creating a shock in the American cultural prejudices. Such perception was mainly aimed at killing the popular beliefs of black American masculinity. The African-American populations viewed their men as lions. The image of African American male portrayed that of a lion. This masculinity feeling of the African Americans gave them hope that one day they will overcome their masters and attain their freedom. The audience is horrified by the violent images from the film, but the storyline is so interesting that they can afford to stop watching.

The effects of watching the film includes, increase of heart beast rates, sweaty palms, and nervousness. O-Dog and Cain presents the horrific experiences of the white Americans imaginations and perceptions against the African Americans. O-dog is a very significant character in this film as he portrays the America’s imaginations. He does not fear death and violence. The cinematography of the film Menace II Society cannot be linked to the realism since the colors in the movie are dark and too dense. The dark and dense color of the film is a significant feature of the film. The films also display some features from the Watts riots that happened in 1965. During these riots, a black motorist was arrested due on the grounds of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The riots erupted when the community reacted with outrage and violently confronted the police. It is deemed normal when someone suffers or dies from the injuries sustained from the street crimes. As discussed earlier, Cane situation is metaphorically likened to the lion’s. Can is forced to live in the society which has been created and run by white men. Being a lion, cane is abused by his master but he is expected to obey the master regardless of the situation. In the contrary, Cain and his family members have been wired and prepared to live with violence and hardships. The morals have decayed in the society and people have become so violent. When Cane is riding in his car to go revenge to his cousin’s killers, he tells O-dog that he does not intend to shoot old men or children.

This statement implies that although Cane grew up in a horrible and violent society he still have some humanity within him. The little humanity in him can be attributed to the counsel from his grandparents and some of his parents. This suggests that even if white people perceive that African Americans are violent, there are still some good things in them hence the New Black Realism. In this family’s case, the father is loving and responsible while the mother has left the family to pursue advanced education. This is what the film tends to redefine as the New Black realism. Although Furious Styles has tried his best to raise his son according to the accepted standards, the son is still being influenced by the Central Loss Angeles environment.

In another family, there are two children, Ricky and Doughboy (Ice Cube). The two boys are brothers but with different fathers. Dre, Eazy E, among others. This group is credited with shaping the course of Hip Hop music and gangster rap in the United States. The graphics in the Boys N The Hood exhibits the violent tales in the streets of South Central Los Angeles. The inner streets of the city are synonymous to violence and criminal gang activities. Boyz N The Hood incorporate the same values that the N. According to John Singleton, this is the real definition of the New Black Realism. American was founded on the foundations of violence. That’s the reality which most American’s tend to run away from.