IN THE HEIGHTS

US, 2021, 143 minutes, Colour.

Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins, Olga Merritt is, Jimmy Smits, Gregory Diaz IV, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Marc Anthony.

Directed by Jon Chu.

The Heights? Washington Heights – the northern part of New York’s Manhattan where the island narrows between the Hudson River to the west and the East River to the east. For the last decades it has been a centre for migrants from Caribbean countries. And here, these cultures are being celebrated.

In the Heights was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the name to be reckoned with for the American musical in the 21^st-century. He has been immortalised with Hamilton. In fact, in the Heights was written before Hamilton but now it is getting the big screen treatment, directed by Jon Chu who directed a number of dance films, Step Up, but achieved great popularity with Crazy Rich Asians.

A prominent reviewer treated In the Heights with more than a touch of disdain, condemning it as “sanitised”. The reviewer was referring to the social problems in the area, especially drugs and violence, killings – and, in 1989, the New Your Times did state that Washington Heights was the crack capital of the world. It is true that these issues are not to the fore here. Rather, this story intends to be a celebration, a celebration of the Latino cultures, the memories of homelands, the transition to the US, making a home in the US. It has the touch of the fairytale – and, that is certainly true of the end of the film and its resolution with a lottery ticket.

There is quite a lot of singing and dancing in the street. On a personal note, this reviewer did spend a year living in Washington Heights, 1989, and resonated with the story and the characters, the filming on the streets of Washington Heights, the precise situation of Usnavi’s store on the corner of Audubon Avenue and 1/75 Street. But, this reviewer has to confess that he never saw any dancing in the streets although there was often a very festive atmosphere, celebrating the many patrons under the title of the Virgin Mary and the countries of origin.

The central character is a young man, Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) who tells stories about his growing up in the Dominican Republic to attentive children, who works a stall with the young Sonny, who is attracted to Vanessa (Melissa Barrera) who works in the local beauty shop (which is transferring to the Bronx). His good friend is Benny (Corey Hawkins) who works for Kevin (Jimmy Smits) who runs a local taxi service and bought it from the Irish. Benny is also in love with Kevin’s daughter, Nina (Leslie Grace) who has been sent away by her father to improve her studies at Stanford, though she does not want to study there, feels out of place, wants to return home. And, overall, there is the presiding spirit of the genial grandmother.

So, lots of verve, dancing in the streets, even on the side of an apartment block! But, compared with, say, West Side Story, this one is comparatively low key, a local celebration inviting us all to share. And, again, a commentator has referred to it as a love letter to the cultures of Washington Heights.

SOME BACKGROUND ON THE LOCATION:  Washington Heights is set apart among Manhattan neighborhoods for its high residential density despite the lack of modern construction, with the majority of its few high-rise buildings belonging to the NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical Center. Other higher education institutions include Yeshiva University and Boricua College. The neighborhood has generous access to green space in Fort Washington Park, Highbridge Park, and Fort Tryon Park, home to the historical landmarks the Little Red Lighthouse, the High Bridge Water Tower, and the Cloisters respectively. Other points of interest include Audubon Terrace, the Morris–Jumel Mansion, the United Palace, the Audubon Ballroom, and the Fort Washington Avenue Armory.

Beginning as a middle-class neighborhood with many Irish and Eastern European immigrants, the neighborhood has at various points been home to communities of German Jews, Greek Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Russian Americans. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, White residents began to leave the neighborhood for nearby suburbs as the Black and Latino populations increased. Dominican Americans became the dominant group by the 1980s despite facing difficult economic circumstances, leading the neighborhood to its status today as the most prominent Dominican community in the United States. While crime became a serious issue during the crack cocaine crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, in the 2000s Washington Heights became a much safer community and began to experience some upward mobility as well as gentrification.

For the remainder of the 20th century the Dominican community of Washington Heights continued to increase considerably, most notably during the mid to late 1980s, when over 40,000 Dominicans settled in Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights, and Inwood Around the year 2000, the Dominican community reached its peak and became a slim majority of Washington Heights and Inwood, propelling the neighborhoods' combined population to 208,000, the highest level since 1950.

in 1989, The New York Times called the neighborhood "the crack capital of America." By 1990, crack's impact on crime was evident: 103 murders were committed in the 34th Precinct that year, along with 1,130 felony assaults, 1,919 robberies, and 2,647 burglaries.

Washington Heights has faced gentrification throughout the 2000s, with the 2010 Census revealing that from 2000 the neighorhood's Hispanic / Latino population had decreased by nearly 17,000 and its Black population by over 3,000, while its White population increased by nearly 5,000.

1. The success on Broadway? Lin-Manuel Miranda, this musical before Hamilton? To the screen? The American cinema musical tradition? 21^st-century style?
2. The location photography, filming in the streets of Washington Heights, specific address, apartments, stores, the Latin American community, from the Dominican Republic? The studio work, special effects, dancing on the side of the wall…?
3. The title, the title song, the rap lyrics? The range of songs, Latin American rhythms? Recitative lyrics? The cumulative effect for atmosphere? The choreography, participation, all ages? The atmosphere of the New York and race locations?
4. The narration by Usnavi, his age, experience, memories of growing up in the Dominican Republic, the little bar, the story for the children, their response? Recurring throughout the film, his intention to return, set up the bar? The revelation at the end, in Washington Heights, with the children, his own bar there in the neighbourhood? His daughter, his wife? The optimism of the story?
5. A film of New York Latin American culture? The migrants from the Caribbean, edging out the Irish (Kevin buying out the taxi company from the Irish)? The different countries, cultures and traditions? Spanish language? The bonds of the community, family? Ambitions, hopes, prosperity? The costumes and decor, for the younger members of the cast, older members? The touch of the flamboyant? Bright and colourful?
6. Usnavi’s story, member of his family, the store, the photos, working with Sonny, the customers? His friendship with Vanessa? The dates with her, the conversations, her being upset with him? Vanessa, covered with the design, in the beauty parlour, its transferring to the Bronx? Her tensions, application turn down? Usnavi filing the application, success? Vanessa on the Washington Heights long steps, the painter, the colour design, ideas, working overnight? The dresses, the painting in the store? Usnavi packing to go to the Dominican Republic, changing his mind, staying?
7. Kevin, the older generation, migration, buying at the taxi business, his success, selling part of the house and business, Nina and her education at Stanford? His work with Benny? Nina returning back, not wanting to be at Stanford, feeling isolated and humiliated? The scene at the dinner, Kevin selling the business, Nina’s outburst? Her later realisation of what she could do, returning to a father, her plans for advocacy for the future? Her relationship with Benny, his work for Kevin, her absence, coming together again? In love? And the dance on the wall?
8. The grandmother, memories of the past, her embroidery work, supporting the younger generation, the lottery ticket, her dying? The irony of Usnavi discovering the ticket? His using it for Sonny’s green card? For his trip? Going to the lawyer, persuading him to cash the ticket?
9. The seller of the iced drinks? His song? The rivalry with the ice cream vendor? Portrayed by Lin- Manuel Miranda?
10. Sonny, his age, education, Usnavi visiting his father, his father’s resistance? Joining in the song and dance? Usnavi and the shop, giving him opportunity for the future?
11. The range of supporting characters, the big the women at the beauty parlour, the transition to the Bronx, the owner and a disappointment at the blackout, people hot, lazy, urging them to celebrate?
12. That this was the equivalent of a celebration of Latin American culture equivalent to the directors Crazy Rich Asians?