CB4

US, 1993, 88 minutes, Colour.
Chris Rock, Allen Payne, Phil Hartman, Theresa Randle, Chris Elliot.
Directed by Tamra Davis.

CB4 stands for Cell Block 4, a black rap group which uses prison bars and cells for its staging of its musical repertoire.

The film is designed for an American black audience, issues, language, music - situations and language which are largely unfamiliar to audiences outside the United States. The film poses as a rockumentary (in the mode of This is Spinal Tap and Bob Roberts). Chris Elliott is a television journalist allegedly doing a story on CB4. He travels with them, they reminisce about their respectable past and their transition, their interactions with gangsters.

The film, to that extent, is fairly predictable. There are the sequences of performances with the fans cheering, the raunchy lyrics, the gaudy manager (Mr Trustus). There is also the poking of fun at traditional American black families as each of the members of the group reminisces about their respectable past. There is also some satire on the media and interviews.

White fans are presented. However, the central white character is a Sacramento politician who is vigilant against the possible corruption of the city by such groups as CB4. He is presented as a narrow-minded, bigoted fanatic - whose young son, however, is a fan of the group.

For a black audience, accustomed to the issues and style, the film could well be very amusing. However, for audiences outside America, the language seems foreign, the issues, while obvious, nevertheless sometimes obscure and it gives the impression of being a foreign film.