Zoot Suit - Movie Review Example

Zoot Suit is a movie released in 1982 by Universal Pictures. The story revolved around Henry Reyna, a Mexican-American, being dragged in the Sleepy Lagoon murder case. He was then accused of being a conspirator of the said crime and was thus arrested and imprisoned along with some alleged involved friends of his. Help came to them though when a certain lawyer and a woman offered to support and aid them in their fight for freedom. In the end, justice has still prevailed and has set them free. American Me, on one hand, is a film that has focused on the life of Santana in and out of the jail as a gang member. And even though he was locked up inside, he still knows how to do and handle "business." Guys on their neighborhood, Mexican-Americans mostly, are members of their gang and they call one another as "carnal." When he got out of the jail, he learned from his father that he was not born out of love but just a product of a sexual assault. His mother then was raped by sailors at the time of the Zoot Suit Riot. When Santana met his love interest in the movie, he was tempted to change his ways for her sake. But even if he was tempted, it did not happen. Some things went wrong so the two of them did not end up being together. Santana, in the last part of the movie, was brought back behind the bars again and there he was killed by his fellow inmates. Talk to Me, on the other hand, is a movie that has concentrated on the life of Petey Greene after he got out of prison. He was an ex-convict who wanted to land a job in a radio station where his former inmate's brother is working. He was at first turned down by Dewey thinking that helping him might cost him his job. But the table has twitched and turned and so Dewey has still decided to help him. Hence, Petey has become a successful disc jockey and a television personality. The issue then on race is and has always been a big matter even up to now when there are already so many societies claiming to practice egalitarianism. But what like Marks said- racial categories are but just "cultural constructs" to which Biology would deny to give its support (Marks, available from http://www.mrrena.com/misc/race.php). In the movie Zoot Suit, it was clearly presented that the Mexican-Americans' trademark are the Zoot Suits. But as mentioned in the film, the real meaning of Zoot suit has been distorted by the media. It was used against them and was used to label them. As a result, crimes or any sort of violence within the area would always be attributed to them. Marks also mentioned in his writing that being a member of what he called "unbiological groupings" referring to the racial categories (such as the Chicanos and Jews) "may mean the difference between life and death, for they are the categories that allow us to be identified (and accepted or vilified) socially" (Marks, available from http://www.mrrena.com/misc/race.php). Applying it in the context of the movie American Me, becoming a part of the gang to which Santana belongs to is one's pride and joy. This film didn't portray racism as it is in the usual way since the Mexican-Americans here were the ones being discriminatory. And as a proof to this, there was even a scene in the movie that showed the gang raping a white guy. Another movie that has touched some of the issues on racism is Talk to Me. Blacks, as we all know, have always been mistreated. They have been often discriminated and ridiculed by the Whites as if they belong to a different species. Their opinions or take on matters are not important at all or so they believe. In this movie, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot to death, the Blacks cause an uproar and chaos on the streets to show the Whites how angry they were for killing him. The Blacks' strong affinity with him is maybe because he was also one of them. Furthermore, only few people can assert their right on social issues and Martin Luther King Jr. was one of them. He was like the voice of the Black people so it wasn't surprising anymore that people would violently react about his death. He was en icon to them after all. Martin Luther King Jr. was a person hoping for what's best for the Blacks. He was just hoping to be treated fairly and equally. Nobody wants to be mistreated or discriminated. We all know that as a fact. But there would always be times that individuals from various places might experience discrimination only that it could be in a different manner. You can be discriminated because of your ethnicity, gender, or by your mere skin color. And these movies in one way or another depicted and portrayed the issue on discrimination particularly racism. But among the three, it was Talk to Me that has done the best job in addressing or treating the problem. The reason why I was able to say this is due to the fact that in the film, Petey had the access to speak for the people of his kind. He had the means to air his stands on social and racial issues especially those which concern him and his people. Furthermore, there is media involved so he had a strong influence on the people. When he tackles social issues, he does it on the radio so more people become aware and involved with the issues. Moreover, not only those in their own homes can be reached by Petey's radio program but as well as those who are in their cars having a drive. Consequently, any moment the people tune in to WOL, they would be able to hear what Petey Green has to say. Therefore letting the government know of his stand and of the Blacks wouldn't be a problem at all because as aforementioned, he had the means to do it. And besides he's doing a public service so his loyalty is not on the government but to the people. WORKS CITED American Me. Dir. Edward James Olmos. Perf. Edward James Olmos,William Forsythe, Danny Dela Paz, Evelina Fernandez (II), Pepe Serna. Film. Universal Pictures, 1992. Castro, Rafaela. "Zoot Suit". 2005. April 5 2009. . Larson, Stephanie Greco. Media & Minorities: The Politics of Race in News and Entertainment. Spectrum series, race and ethnicity in national and global politics. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. Leighley, Jan E. Mass Media and Politics: A Social Science Perspective. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2003. Marks, Jonathan. "Black, White, Other." 08 January 2003. 3 April 2009. . Talk to Me. Dir. Kasi Lemmons. Perf. Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Taraji Henson, Cedric The Entertainer,Mike Epps. Film. Focus Features, 2007. Zoot Suit. Dir. Luis Valdez. Perf. Daniel Valdez (II), Edward James Olmos, Charles Aidman, Tyne Daly. Film. Universal Pictures, 1982. Read More