STOMP THE YARD
US, 2006, 115 minutes, Colour.
Columbus Short, Meagan Good, Ne- Yo, Darrin Henson, Valarie Pettiford, Allan Louis, Harry J. Lennix.
Directed by Sylvain White.
The formula remains the formula but the motivation is different.
Just as there have been, over the last twenty years, films of Breakdancing, Salsa, Rap and all kinds of dance competitions and putting on a show, so Stomp the Yard has its 21st century types who are skilled at an energetic and gymnastic style of street dancing and stomping.
It starts with fierce rivalry in a performance in front of cheering crowds, like the kind of taunting rivalry in rap battles (as in Life and Lyrics). But this is also gang LA competitiveness where fights lead to gun deaths. At the university where our hero, DJ (Columbus Short doing all his own dancing), studies, two fraternities are practising for national championships. The film climaxes with some spectacular and athletic performances in the finals.
Where the film is different is in the emphasis on education for African Americans. DJ attends (the fictitious) Truth University in Georgia which boasts of a heritage which includes Martin Luther King, Coretta King, Rosa Parks and Esther Rolle. There is an appeal to young African Americans to value education and its potential for personal and social empowerment.
The campus setting is a change from the ghettoes and the ‘hoods. While the rivalry is strong and the personal conflicts emotionally violent, energy is put into the dancing and into ambitions.
There have been a lot of this kind of ‘inspirational’ sports or dance films in recent years: Gridiron Gang, Coach Carter, Pride… Which means that they are still needed.
1.A film about dance and movement? Stomping? For American audiences? Ethnic American audiences? Worldwide?
2.The Los Angeles settings, the clubs, the world of gangs? The contrast with Atlanta, Georgia, the university campus, greater affluence and opportunities? Two authentic worlds?
3.The musical score, the music, the instruments, the stomp music, the dancing? The choreography? The rap lyrics? The title?
4.Audience appreciation of the style of stomping, the movements, the aggression, the competitiveness, the challenge? The dancing equivalent of rap?
5.The opening, D.J. and his brother, the competition, the two teams, their stances and attitude, the performance, the rivalry? The crowd and its support? D.J. and his being self-centred, the appeal to think of the group? The fight, his brother being killed? The aftermath, arrests, trial, D.J. with the police record?
6.D.J. and his being sent to Atlanta? The possibility for education? His arrival, contact with his uncle and aunt? His surly attitude? His uncle laying down the law to him? His behaviour in the house, going to the university, seeing the students, the registration? His glimpsing April, following her, losing his place in the line, her seeing this? His confrontational attitude? His discovering Grant as April’s boyfriend?
7.University life, the fraternities, D.J. and his not wanting to join, his being individual? Observing the fraternities and their stomping competition and recruitment? His work in the gardens? His uncle as supervisor? His being at home with his aunt?
8.His encounters with April, their friendship, his finding she was a tutor, getting himself assigned, the tutorial, his answering the historical question about the Depression and going out with her? Falling in love? Her attraction to him? The fact that she was the daughter of the provost? The provost’s antagonism towards D.J. and warning his daughter, her taking a stance?
9.Grant, the fraternity, their pride, winning all the competitions? D.J. and his challenge to Grant, performance? The invitation to him to join the group? His refusing? The visit by the head of the other group, the discussions, his finally deciding to join? The initiation ceremonies and his becoming part of the group?
10.The national competition, the plans, the rehearsals? Grant and his spying on D.J. and getting his moves? Zeke and his leadership, his thinking first of the group rather than individuals? The moves, the difficulties for the men to do the moves? D.J. and his taking over, Zeke making his point about leadership, agreeing for D.J? The training and the success?
11.Grant, his challenging D.J., his taking April out to dinner, the proposal, his arrogance, her reaction? His reporting D.J’s record to the provost? The ethics committee and their discussion, suspension? The provost being able to overturn the decision? His trying to blackmail D.J. to stay away from April? The revelation of this truth, April and her hesitation in believing? The fact that the provost had been in love with D.J’s aunt? Her going to see the provost, April overhearing, the provost changing his mind?
12.The other members of the group, D.J’s roommate and his friendliness, his activities, being part of the group? The other members of the fraternity?
13.The build-up to the finals, the performance and the lavish choreography? The finals, D.J. arriving, becoming part of the performance? The tie? The final confrontational movements, the excelling of themselves by the leaders? D.J’s team winning? The trophy?
14.The film’s emphasis on education, the need for education, for discipline? The different affluence status of various African-Americans? The tradition of the university, the museum, the Hall of Fame, the celebrated people with their photos on the wall? D.J. and his triumph going on the wall along with them? The final words about education and the quote from Martin Luther King?
15.The film using the conventions of competitiveness, music? The background of the gangs – but the more optimistic tone with the emphasis on possibilities and education?
