Boyz ‘N The Hood

When John Singleton, fresh out of USC film school, wrote and directed his first feature in 1991, he seemed like a cinematic natural, versed in the gauzy, poetic nostalgia of the coming-of-age film, while pioneering the gritty, hip-hop aesthetic of the gangsta film. Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), Ricky (Morris Chestnut), and Doughboy (Ice Cube) grow up in South Central, L.A. surrounded by violence, hounded by police, and subliminally aware of the statistics on premature mortality among black males. Ricky has football. Tre has a strong, responsible father (Laurence Fishburne). But Doughboy has only the street. Shot on location in Singleton's former neighborhoods, the film alternates between the dark nihilism that would overtake the urban film in the mid-1990s and a cautious message of social uplift with a well-articulated moral about the pressures of black masculinity. Though Singleton isn't beyond slamming his messages home, he gives the movie the tragic inevitability of a Greek drama, and the cast of then-inexperienced actors shines: even unpolished, Ice Cube had the charisma of a star; Cuba Gooding Jr.'s untempered innocence is exactly the quality that has been missing in so many of his later films; and Fishburne and Angela Bassett hold everything together with authority. Boasting a reasonably sharp (though occasionally dark) digital transfer and Dolby Digital stereo sound, this double-disc 10th anniversary edition (two years late) features a smart commentary track by Singleton, a thorough 45-minute retrospective documentary, deleted scenes, and a pair of music videos. Highly recommended. (D. Fienberg)[Blu-ray Review—July 19, 2011—Sony, 112 min., R, $19.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1991's Boyz N the Hood sports a decent transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras include an audio commentary by director John Singleton, a “Friendly Fire: Making of an Urban Legend” featurette (43 min.), “The Enduring Significance” new retrospective featurette with Singleton and stars Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Laurence Fishburne, and others (28 min.), deleted scenes (5 min.), audition clips (5 min.), the music videos “Growin' Up in the Hood” by Compton's Most Wanted and “Just Ask Me To” by Tevin Campbell, trailers, and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: Singleton's powerful drama makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]