However, it is debatable whether this is actually a good thing. Menace II Society was conceived to be the flip side of Boyz n the Hood and it is essentially what it turned out to be. If he does not care about living, why would Atlanta be any different than LA? Even when Ronnie (Jada Pinkett Smith), a girl he genuinely loves, urges him to take a chance with her and move to Atlanta where together they can start from scratch, Caine still hesitates. It is way, way too obvious that the crucial deadly 'click' is coming. O-Dog is usually close to him and together they are drifting through a sea of troubles much like delusional gamblers would risk their lives playing Russian roulette. The rest of the film essentially documents the inevitable premature end of Caine's existence. He was already heading down the same dangerous path his father was on before he died, too. So, by the time Caine lost both his father and his mother and went to live with his grandparents, his street education was fully completed. His mother, who was a drug addict, wasn't of much help to him either. Even though his old man was around, Caine grew up without a real father in his life, so the vacuum that existed there was routinely filled by street elements insisting that nihilism ought to be his credo. It is a simple explanation that actually reveals The Cause behind the explosion of youth violence in America's inner cities. This short sequence sums up perfectly absolutely everything that happens in Menace II Society.Įarlier in the film, but later on as well, Caine explains why he ended up with such a nihilistic view of life and how all of his troubles were directly influenced by it. His answer? "I don't know." Then he quickly walks away, for a short period of time looking genuinely annoyed, followed closely by his best pal, O-Dog (Larenz Tate), who is a wanted killer. There is a short sequence in Albert and Allen Hughes' film Menace II Society where one of its two protagonists, Caine (Tyrin Turner), who happens to be a young boy, is asked whether he cares to live or die.
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What if this boy never had the opportunity to learn how precious life is, how to value it, and how to live it the right way and pursue happiness? What if while growing up the boy became immune to optimism because everyone else around him had the same nihilistic view of life? Such a scenario could explain a lot that is happening in the boy's head, correct? Now, put aside the possible answers you came up with and consider something else. What would be your immediate reaction if a young boy revealed to you that he does not know whether he wishes to be alive? Would you be perplexed, concerned, or terrified? Now, think about what could possibly force the boy to even consider giving up on life? An incurable illness? A great tragedy? It has to be something very serious, something that has profoundly and permanently altered the boy's understanding and appreciation of his existence, correct? In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. The supplemental features on the release include two archival audio commentaries by the directors new audio commentary by director of photography Lisa Rinzler deleted scenes archival music video and more. Svet Atanasov, November 28, 2021Īlbert and Allen Hughes' "Menace II Society" (1993) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.