MovieChat Forums > Bastards of the Party (2005) Discussion > Not the greatest Documentary

Not the greatest Documentary

posted 17 years ago by iseepinkelefants
19 replies | jump to latest

The history was jumbled and not enough time was spent going over each period. Not only that but the riots and the 90's would be the most covered and they weren't. The 90's was the time when gangs were really showcased and it seems like he didn't cover it at all. It was way too rushed. I understand it was the history but HBO made it seem like they would give you an in depth look which they didn't. And some of the interviewees I could barely understand. They kept talking about it as if the person watching should know mosat of what they were talking about. I felt like I came in on the middle of a conversation. I've seen some great documentaries (although Sundance really is the best) and this just doesn't make the list. The director came off as an amateur. The documentary about beads made in China for Mardi Gras was way better than this and this had a lot more to work with.

You can't come in here, this is my mastabatorium!

[–] Villemar 17 years ago

Well in his defence Cle tried to handle two huge issues at the same time:

1) Cover the history and background of gangs in LA

2) His own personal experiences growing up in a gang.

I think he did an excellent job covering both. I sometimes think because I'm an Angelino I'm more aware of the history of all of this stuff, but I really learned a lot more than I thought I would. True each decade could have been incorporated into individual documentaries on their own, but not only did it give an excellent overview to the lay-person, like I said I gained a lot of new insights into stuff I hadn't really been aware of.

If you want to learn more about this subject you might want to pick up "City of Quartz" by Mike Davis, who is interviewed in this film. I had read it like 10 years ago and completely forgot about it, until I saw it reappear in this documentary. I'm definitely going to dig it up and give it a re-read!

[–] iseepinkelefants 17 years ago

Thanks for the suggestion.

You can't come in here, this is my mastabatorium!

[–] Hershe 16 years ago

Wonderful responses from the majority of you. I agree that this was great effort by Bone. I found the documentary to be engaging, well put together, and informative.

Mirabelle comes off as someone living her own little insular existence. Her weak criticisms of the director and film are a result of her lack of understanding and ignorance.

[–] AndrWhtf 17 years ago

I don't agree with you at all, I saw the doc Last night @ about 12 am, I think it was very well put together , And being that this was Cle's first time doing a doc it was great. He showed the history of the gangs and how they started . I believe more young African Americans should see this. The only thing that I didn't agree with was how it aired so late in the evening.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] antonius840 17 years ago

It was a little rushed on certain parts that could definitely be expanded into entire libraries of film, but the focus of the documentary wasn't to showcase current gangs, but rather show the entire timeline of gangs as a whole. The idea of it was to show how the bloods and crips were "bastard (as in the title)" children of the civil rights movement and the black panthers and were wrapped up in a cocoon of *beep* As for the interviewees being difficult to understand- you just need to familiarize yourself with the dialect more. It'd be difficult to have a true documentary if they had to coach everyone they interviewed on how to speak properly and what to say. Besides that, Cle Sloan is incredibly articulate for your average gangster.

It answered almost all the questions one could have about gangs in a pretty condense manner.

[–] RobSac 17 years ago

by - MirabelleButtersfield on Sun Feb 11 2007 01:15:05

And some of the interviewees I could barely understand. They kept talking about it as if the person watching should know mosat of what they were talking about.

I'm not from L.A., knew nothing about the history of gangs, and, White, at that, and I understood just about everything. I'd try watching it again if I were you. Seems to me you were looking for something in the film that you couldn't find, and were too frustrated to follow it. They explain everything the interviewees are talking about, like we're 3 year olds

I've seen some great documentaries (although Sundance really is the best) and this just doesn't make the list.

Not only is this a good documentary, it may be the most relevant documentary dealing with the urban issues of our time. All party's forecast a bloodbath in L.A. sometime in the next couple of years, the police, the gangsters, the press, the churches...everybody. Unless some real change takes place, this film will be ahead of it's time in regards to it's relevance, and many people are going to be tracking back to it to get a clue as to why L.A. is up in flames.

The director came off as an amateur.

He is. He's a lifelong gang member, who's only acted in minor roles and appeared in a few news interviews. Considering that, he did an excellent job.

The documentary about beads made in China for Mardi Gras was way better than this and this had a lot more to work with.

What more? The '90s? The gang explosion in the late '80s and early '90s (gang violence actually decreased a great deal in the late '90s..and then mysteriously increased again earlier this decade...) was due to the crack explosion, and the film addresses this, in detailed extent, even exploring the CIA's, the Iran Contra dealings with Oliver North, and the roles those events played in the crack explosion.

[–] chaas4747 17 years ago

I really think the point he was trying to get across was there. In his mind the 90's were a lost time because the damage had already been done. He says his generation let everyone down and did not pick up and do what the BPP/US started.

[–] tarpon_talk 17 years ago

Great documentary... one of the best I've seen. Cle did a great job, I feel like I know a lot more about gang history, and the documentary really captured my attention and made me think. I'm not black, and I can't identify with everything I heard in this film (though I can understand it pretty well), but I really feel for my brothers, my human brothers. In each and everyone of those gangbangers was so much hate, so much love, so much fear and anger and dispair... what can you say? Even though gangbangers do some bad stuff, one can't help but have a lot of sympathy for them.

God bless em.

[–] jdkyle 17 years ago

Why do they have gangs anyway? Why do they kill each other? Why did they do what they did in the 90's? Don't tell me its the environment because the ones who have millions, rappers, football players, basketball players, etc. stay in trouble all the time. Look at the NFL, the blacks are in trouble at a rate of 100 times to 1 vs the whites?

[–] Normiek 17 years ago

Did you watch the documentary? Based on your questions, it doesn't seem like you did.... Plus, the documentary's focus was only on the gang situation in LA, and really has nothing to do with the misbehavior of celebrities or athletes... It was a great film- you should check it out.

[–] optimal511 17 years ago

OK, once again, put brain in gear. All of that was covered in the documentary. Let's stop acting like everything is functioning in a vacuum. Initially, the brothers and sisters who moved to LA had to band together to defend themselves from white racist violence (gee, I wonder if that would be considered gang activity? Duh!) Then, they and the entire community were put upon by the white racist state in the specific personages of the police department (remember that part? Don't get selective memory on me now.) Then, even when people came together to empower themselves in the incarnations of the Black Panther Party and the US Organization, they were once again set upon by the white racist state and federal power structures. Starting to sense a theme here? Oh, and let's not even talk about the CIA sponsored flooding of crack into the communities of people with color. Contrary to popular belief, this is not peoples natural states of being. It's the result of constantly being schemed on, undermined, physically attacked, killed, intimidated and suppressed. Granted, ultimately we will have to save ourselves regardless, but let's stop engaging in this dishonest suggestion that somehow a notedly, historically and incessantly hostile power structure is somehow not part of the equation.

[–] platinumdipped1 17 years ago

Thank you Optima1511 (clap clap clap)!!! Well put. I've always been told "there aren't any stupid questions" but people disprove that theory everyday...lol. This was a great documentary. It gave a lot of information. If they would've told everything this would've been a day long movie. Come on people...turn your brains on!

[–] JuwanG 17 years ago

I second that emotion! Flawlessly stated Optima1511!

[–] animaleyz 17 years ago

I've always been told "there aren't any stupid questions" but people disprove that theory everyday

That isnt true. There really arent any stupid questions, just stupid people.

My karma ran over your dogma.

[–] realplayer54 17 years ago

I applaud all who applaud optima511. I don't know how many great posts like that get overlooked. I love it.

I spent my entire childhood growing up. What a waste.

[–] SteelKeez 11 years ago

@optima Amen Brother

[–] cherubalways 11 years ago

Not my experience. I thought it was very well done considering the complex subject matter. Keep in mind how amazing it is to have such a rich insider experience documented. I applaud the director for giving a damn.

[–] cherubalways 11 years ago

Thank you for that optimal511! As a white person, I've been privy to discussions with historically uninformed, white nit wits over the ramifications of slavery. During the time leading up to the Civil War, southern whites were scared to death what 4 million free slaves might do!? Over time the government found ways of dealing with the mass of free slaves. The results are obvious.

Slavery was abhorrent. Reconstruction failed big time.