Ghett'a Life

1. Who was your favorite character(s) from the film? Why?

My favorite character from the film was Derrick. I admire his perseverance, he always fought for his dreams even when the odds were against him. Derrick proves that dreams are bigger than any political issue. It’s just brilliant how Derrick see people as what they are, he proves that differences could be pulled apart and at the end all the people in the town are not of one side or the other, they’re all Jamaicans. 

2. How do we see political conflict portrayed in the film? Remember to use the article to help you

We see a political conflict in the film when we realize that the entire town is divided. This division is founded in specific political reasons, there are two sides, the one where Derrick lives with his family and the other where  his gym is placed. The movie reflex an intense tension between the two sides, there are scenes where members of one gang chase people of the other an even kill some. 

The hate and violence are direct consequences of the political polarization that grows between the two gangs. The gangs and his leaders end up absorbing all the tension that the political figures produce and turning it into total mayhem. 

3. How are women portrayed in this film? Is it a little or big advancement compared to The Harder They Come?

I think that one of the biggest differences between this movie and The Harder They Come is the way both films portrayed how is to be a women in Jamaica and how Jamaicans see the female figure in the society. 

In one hand The Harder They Come pictured women as secondaries figures in the whole plot of the movie. The character of Elsa is only saw as an object to the male characters, in first place to the minister of the church and in second to Ivan. 

Ghett’a Life maintains some of this principles. The example of this is Camella who is only used as a love interest for the protagonist and doesn’t grow as a character in the entire movie. 

The character who made the difference is Dawn Thompson, Derrick’s mom. She is constantly growing throughout the film. She represent a real women who is prepared to fight against the patriarchy and sexism of the Jamaican society. Dawn broke with the molde of all the female characters in those movies, and is the prove that those kind of roles can take place in the Jamaican film industry. 

The harder they come

1. In general, what did you like and dislike about the film?

In general I enjoyed the film. It was interesting to see how was Jamaica in that time as a society and a culture. The movie capture really well the differences between the characters and the social groups in Jamaica. One of the things that I liked the most was the growing of Ivan as a character and how he fought for his dreams, even thought not always in the most legal way. 

The thing I didn’t like about the film was that I found the whole thing very chaotic. Things happened very fast and in occasions I didn’t understood what was happening. As an example, after the fight between Ivan and his friend for the bike, he suddenly appears living in another place. 

2. Who is your favorite character from the film?

My favorite character is definitely Ivanhoe Martin. Is a really charismatic protagonist, he always found the way to stole the glimpses. I think Ivan is a really endearing character, people can relate with him and the thing that he represent, his searched for identity and a place in the world is something very relatable. In certain way he also represent Jamaicans, he is constantly finding the way to overcome the struggles, even when the next problem is bigger than the previous one. 

3. Would you recommend this film to someone, why/why not?

I would recommend the film, but warning that it’s not for everyone. I personally liked the movie and I recommend it to, it’s placed in a very interesting political, social and cultural background, the main character it’s a really good one and also it’s an opportunity to see one of the biggest films in the history of Jamaica. But it’s necessarily to warn that the language and the tempo of the movie could be impediments to enjoy the film, also not everyone enjoy movies made with a little budget.

4. How does this film contribute to postcolonial identity?

I think that the film contribute to the postcolonial identity of the country, being a reflex of the Jamaican society and culture. In first place, the entire narrative of the film show how it’s to live in Jamaica, how it’s the situation in al levels, and how difficult is to find opportunities in such an injustice society. 

The idea of made the film using the Jamaican Patois instead of English also contributes to be more faithful to his identity as a country. Also the fact that the movie show important things for the Jamaican culture as the reggae and how it was the music business in Jamaica bak in the day, the same could applied to the ganja as a representation of a part of the Jamaican heritage.