Menace 2 Society Analysis

Motion pictures have been utilized throughout history to bring forgotten world events and issues to the attention of the viewer. Filmmakers utilize real life scenarios along with unique dialog, lighting, and camera angles to give the viewer a life-like depiction of the many real struggles people face around the world. Movies like Straight Outta Compton and Menace II Society both depict the ongoing struggles and tribulations that are widely present in many black communities. Both movies use mise en scène in a entertaining and powerful way in order to display certain contexts and emotions to the viewer.

The opening scenes in Straight Outta Compton and Menace II Society are very similar in the intense way that they portray the crime and violence that is involved in black communities.

In Straight Outta Compton, the opening scene takes place in a dope house. The use of dark lighting and no music create a seemingly dangerous and hostile environment as the characters engage in a heated argument. The dope house is then raided by police as Easy-E makes his escape. Similarly, Menace II Society’s opening scene has no music to help create a more suspenseful atmosphere. During a hostile argument with the Asian store clerk, the character O- Dog proceeds to shoot the store clerk and rob the store. O-Dog’s actions and dialog surprised me because it seemed as if robing convenience stores was a normal activity for him. The close up camera shots and fast pace action that is utilized in this scene helps the viewer experience a sense of ruthlessness that is associated with O-Dog and the seemingly random acts of violence that is present in many black communities. As discussed by Paula Massood in the article “Out of the Ghetto, Into the Hood”, many hood films use similar mise en scène that is present in Menace II Society in order to create a “documentary-like realism” (Massood 146). This style of filmmaking can create a powerful emotional response from the viewer, as the events portrayed seem more realistic.
Another example of a common black community issue that is present in both Straight Outta Compton and Menace II Society is the relationship of son’s with their parents or grandparents.

According to Paula Massood, many hood films similarly depict “the coming-of- age of a young male protagonist” and the difficulties of living in a “dystopian environment of the inner city” (Massood 147). In Straight Outta Compton, there is a scene in which Dr. Dre and his mother argue about career choices. Dre’s depicted mother in the film can be quoted saying “spinnin’ records ain’t paying none of the bills around here” and “I’m trying to make you understand” (Citation). She is very concerned about her child’s life decisions and wants to see him go to school and get a job. The sporadic camera positions as the two argue gives the viewer a more realistic viewpoint of the dialog and helps the viewer relate to the concerned emotions of the mother. Caine and O’Dog receive a similar lecture from Caine’s grandfather in Menace II Society. In this familiar and somewhat relatable scene, Caine and O’Dog are seated on a couch while the grandfather talks to them about their life decisions. The grandfather brings up

many
religious quotes and examples but as quoted by Caine, “it would go in one ear and out the
other” (Citation). Caine and O-Dog’s reluctance to listen to the grandfather causes them a lot of trouble as the movie progresses. Parents in black communities are faced with a greater task of teaching their children about the dangers of the world compared to parents of many white communities. In a study conducted by The Guardian in 2015, young black males were nine times more likely to be killed by police than other Americans (“The Counted: People Killed by Police in the United States”, 2016). Regarding the conversations that parents have with their children about police, James Giddeon says "If you’re a black family, you’ve had this conversation with all your kids, whether it be the boys or the girls” (“The Conversation Black Parents Have With Their Kids about Police Violence”, 2016).
Movies like Straight Outta Compton and Menace II Society use accurate real-life scenarios along with mise en scène to create an entertaining and informative experience for the viewer. Many people are not aware of the vast amount of issues that are present in black communities and the rest of the world. The use of movies can be viewed as an effective way to shed light on these important issues. The somewhat forgotten issues that plague many black communities are now exposed to a worldwide audience, thanks to movies like Straight Outta Compton and Menace II Society.