Pretty good movie, still true today.

I just watched this and I think its unfairly judged. This is a 1988 low budget movie, and the story was actually quite good and the points it tries to make about racial issues, class issues, bureaucracy, imperialism, joining the military, guns, drugs, bent police, riots etc are all quite good. I like the fact that this film showed that there were good police and bad police instead of just having a bad one sided argument. I like the way there is solidarity between the working class people too even though they are different colours, this is still often the case in a British estate. This film is from a time/set when racism accusations against the police and riots were very recent history.

The funny thing is that this film could be just as true today, e.g a lad originally from st lucia that went to afghan comes back to Camerons recession Britain. He has nothing but a horrible flat on a heroin ridden estate and his mate that got hit by an IED and has no legs. And then there were the 2011 riots. Nothing has changed whatsoever, well apart from that the police are mostly very politically correct and soft and wouldnt be as likely to act how they do in this film. And today gang, knifes, guns, drugs and racial tensions are far worse. Im also willing to bet that there are less jobs too as industry has almost disappeared.

Its also accurate that in this film that there is a Pakistani heroin dealer (the guy that plays dev in coronation street lol Ive actually seen him in real life!), which is ironic because today Afghan heroin is far more prolific than it ever was due to the war, and almost all of it enters the UK via Pakistan and Pakistani importers and dealers. Fully known and encouraged by the powers that be ofcourse.

And after watching the Mercian regiment on a march let me tell you that the British forces are full of Nepalese, Fijians, Carribeans, Africans aswell as British born white, mixed race and black lads.

Its a film that is more than the sum of its parts, Denzel is good in it, yes his accent isnt quite off but it was a good attempt and its the content that makes the film. Deserves to be judged better, and listen to the points instead of expecting a happy ending and action.