recently, the only movies that have made me really feel something, that have actually meant anything to me, have mainly been documentaries. this film did not have a lot of style (although is this not one of the greatest movie posters you have ever seen?) nor did it seem to have a strong agenda behind it, but rather allowed the story to unfold slowly and hit powerfully in it's own subtle way. i was actually suprised by how i was somewhat bored by much of the film and by how mundane a lot of it was. i guess that would be my only complaint about it, although i think much of it's power was in it's lack of a fully structured story or point.
it opens by introducing several boys heading into middle school in baltimore, all atttending poor city schools. they're given a chance to leave their schools and city, which offer them little hope, to go to a special boys school called baraka in kenya. these boy aren't forced to go- most of them are actually excited to go and despite (or maybe as a result of) being homesick and living somewhere so different from their normal surroundings, they excel.
there were several things in this film that really got me:
1) one of the boys who was twelve or thirteen was performing at a second grade level. it wasn't a lack of motivation, this boy wanted to learn. but in his overcrowded school at home, he continually slipped through the cracks. no child left behind, huh?
2) during a meeting with one of their teachers at baraka, the boys discussed what was different in the poor villiage near their school, compared to their poor neighborhoods at home. the answer they came up with was solidarity and a strong sense of community; the villagers weren't fighting with each other, but were united. it is something that is lacking not only in poor communities in the u.s. , but across most of america. except of course when we decide to whip out our american flags and "stand united." i don't know much about kenya- i wish i knew more about what was happening in the world- but i do know that it is not the safest place and that there is unrest , so it really struck me that this is what stood out to the boys.
3) because of the unrest, the boys are unable to finish their intended two years at baraka (sorry, a bit of a spoiler). at the meeting at which the parents are told that their boys won't be going back, there is a outcry of anger and frustration. one mother wants to know what she is supposed to do with her boy because she can't send him back to his public school. her discouragement was so overwhelming it made me cry. and then it made me angry. why the hell should these parents have to send their boys to a school in africa so they can succeed? why isn't more being done in the u.s. to give these boys the educational opportunties which are supposed to be basic rights of anyone living in america? for the past six years, issues involving inner city schools have been something i have felt very passionate about and i was somewhat suprised by how strongly i reacted to this particular scene. i guess just because something isn't new knowledge doesn't make it less infuriating. i hope i never become numb to these atrocities which occur within our own country.
4) one of the bonus features was bill cosby discussing the film. he had a lot of good things to say and summed up the overall message i took from the film : "The children are telling you they want to succeed." these boys did do well once they were given a chance and were expected to succeed. they weren't perfect, baraka didn't solve all their problems, but it showed what could happen if we did care and made a better effort of insuring that all children were given an equal opportunity at getting a quality education.
so that's my idealistic little ramble about a movie and some of my views on the u.s. thanks for reading and sorry that i am not a better writer or more informed, i'm hoping college can fix some of that : )
