I live under a rock and didnt realise this won an Oscar for best picture until I logged in to give it a promising yet unfulfilling 6/10.
My initial problem with the film started early. The caring sharing drug dealer. He goes out of his way to take a child under his wing and then has internal conflict about the harm his occupation causes. Literally the last person in a community to be supportive of a young stranger, tolerant of sexuality matters and regretful of the harm of the drugs trade is going to be your local drug dealer. I didnt even know what the theme of the film was going to be so cut it some slack assuming Juan was going to corrupt Little and make him a child dealer like thousands of his fellow drug dealers around the world. All dealt with in a heavy handed manner too. Why have a subtle look of inner conflict when you can have a woman screaming "I get my drugs from you".
I guess films about social workers and after school clubs don't hit the right notes (or are more difficult to pull off), so we have to go with something more far fetched to engage the modern audience.
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Reply by Fergoose
on Oktober 19, 2019 at 5:40 AM
I also forgot to mention the trope of, 'young protagonist ends up in jail despite being the victim'. If I had a penny for every time I'd seen that one.
Reply by Jacinto Cupboard
on Januari 9, 2021 at 6:31 AM
I think it's a little more nuanced than the way you relate it. Altho the victim cycle narrative is a core part of the story, the more important narrative is that in a dog eat dog world, it's difficult to step outside of that. Moving up the food chain is just survival.
Short of winning lotto or an equally improbable career as a successful rapper, nearly everyone in these communities will never break out.
It is telling that the only character depicted as breaking the cycle rises no further than a steady job as a short order cook.