BEAT STREET
US, 1984, 101 minutes, Colour.
Rae Dawn Chong, Guy Davis.
Directed by Stan Lathan.
Beat Street is one of several films of 1983-84 to capitalise on the popularity of breakdancing. The Cannon group succeeded with Breakdance and its sequel Breakdance 2, Electric Boogaloo. There was also a film starring Lorenzo Lamas, Body Rock. Beat Street was produced by Harry Belafonte.
They all have much the same plot. They all have excellent examples, sometimes quite spectacular, of breakdancing itself.
The stories tend to be of show business - the individual or the group who has great talent, some ambition, gradually gets the breaks, has some adversity, but ultimately succeeds. They all seem to be variations of either A Star Is Born or Babes on Broadway (or combinations of both).
1. The popularity of breakdancing? The skill in the dancing and mime? Visual performance? Spectacle? A story woven around the presentation of breakdancing?
2. New York locations, apartments, halls for dancing, theatres, the subway? New York City as an environment for the characters and for the breakdancing? The range of music? Songs, musical background? The choreography and the dramatising of the music? The importance of the editing for pace and movement? Spectacle?
3. The title and the reference to the New York streets, the street kids, poverty, opportunity, talent? Disappointment? Battles? (The echoes, several decades later, of West Side Story?)
4. Kenny Kirkland as hero? His hopes of being a disc jockey? Living at home, relationship with his mother, his relationship with his brother Lee? The atmosphere of the South Bronx? Rapdancing? Competition? The clubs? The use of sound ? and sound technology? The heritage of the gangs and the gang warfare? Kenny's friends, Chollie and his hopes to be a manager? Ramon and his ability at graffiti-painting? Carmen and the child? The variety of groups? The way of life in South Bronx? The discovery of Henry and his hiding in the basement? The forming of a group? The roller disco and Downtown Manhattan? Lee's success? Kenny's friendship with Tracey? His reaction against their seeming snobbery? The possibilities of success when Kenny acts as a DJ? The hopes for Ramon ? his work, the conflict with the gangs, Carmen, the child? The encounter with Spit and their deaths? Tracey being reunited with Kenny? The happy ending?
5. The group: Chollie and his wheeler dealing, hustling, hopes, success? Ramon and his sadness, skill at painting, the spectacular graffiti on the trains? Henry and his fitting into the group? The blend of black and white?
6. Lee and his ability, background and home, support of Kenny, the exhibition, Tracey's friendship? Being exploited? Success?
7. Tracey and her upper class background, education, friendship with Kenny, clash, reconciliation?
8. The spectacular dances and their insertion into the film? Exhibitions? The build-up to the final spectacular ? and the celebration of Ramon, his life, his vision as exhibited in his paintings?
9. Themes of the American streets of the '80s? Poverty, negroes and whites, the gangs, matters of life and death?
