Gang Cops

There's something to be said for the "unanswered questions" approach to documentary filmmaking, but Gang Cops falls right on the border between sense and no sense. Made by two USC students, Thomas B. Fleming and Daniel Marks, the film opens with a disturbing statistic: in 1986 some 250 people were killed in gang-related incidents in L.A. We then follow members of the L.A. County Sheriff's gang detail, working under the Operation Safe Street program, as they interview respective members of the Crips and the Bloods, two black street gangs who spend a lot of time killing each other. Statements made by gang members are stark, powerful, and oozing with cold-blooded detachment. We see gang-busting cops making the rounds, breaking up small groups and questioning them about gang activities--but in the face of the omnipresent camera, questions of truth and sincerity loom large. With the snippets here/snippets there approach on a subject which is baffling in the first place, it might have helped if the filmmakers had provided more of an overview, and some kind of connecting thread. The imagery is powerful, as are some of the statements; but too much of the program seems to be in the context of no context. On the other hand, the film did win this year's student Oscar for Best Documentary. We recommend that you preview before purchasing. (See Chinese Gold for availability.)