"Hustle & Flow:" Koonery or Good Cinema

Writer Stanley Crouch weighs in on John Singleton’s new movie, “Hustle & Flow,” starring Terrence Howard.

“Some will defend it because of the remarkable performance by Terrence Howard, who portrays a low-level pimp with a dream of becoming a rap star. With that arrives a muddled conception of morality in which up is down and down is up. The condescension toward black people and women is astounding.”

TheStateOf…black cinema. I’m not in a rush to see this movie. I may or may not. I’m kinda tired of the whole pimp/rap thing. I don’t know, maybe I’m getting older…or wiser or more conservative. Whatever it is, I just can’t stand listening to or seeing black people degrade themselves anymore. And the way the movie is marketed, alone, kinda wears me out. And spare me the “we have to support John Singleton crap;” word is dude has 5 kids by 5 different women! Brothers be potent!

Counterpoint: I (Rich) saw this movie over the weekend and enjoyed it. It was a very good film for a first time director. This muddled conception of morality is a common theme in many great movies. Robert DeNiro played Travis Bickle in “Taxi Driver” - a sociopath who finally showed redeeming qualities near the end of the film. Terrence Howard’s DJ is an antihero like Bickle before him. I suggest reading movie reviews written by movie reviewers.