Oscar Grant, Tayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice with Sandra Bland. These are just a few young African Americans whose lives now only exist in commemorative memory after they were subjected to the unwarranted infliction of excessive force by police. A contentious topic, police brutality forms but one link of the chain of multi-faceted issues the The Hate U Give addresses, including that of cultural appropriation, the socio-economic environment that triggers gang violence, cycles of incarceration in black communities and the psychological effects of dehumanisation.
Based on The New York Times best-selling novel of the same name by Angie Thomas, George Tillman Jr.’’s film overflows with poignance and sensitivity, whilst remaining uncompromising and true to the real-life narratives it was inspired by. It’s a piece of filmmaking that succeeds in kindling a steady flame of empathy amongst audiences who witness the soul-stirring cycle of grief, indignation and optimism.
Set in the fictional black neighbourhood of Garden Heights, the film follows the journey of 16-year-old Starr Carter, who confronts the reverberating effects of witnessing the death of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Though there is no legal prerogative which gives law enforcement the ability to use lethal force based on race, there is a legal prerogative for them to engage in lethal force if there is a reasonable fear for their lives.
The film, thus, probes the root of fear of unarmed young black men and speaks to the unconscious racial bias when Starr comments, “Our blackness is the weapon they fear”. Yet Tillman remains conscious of not creating a film that solely blames societal institutions and steers clear of an easy, one-dimensional approach by further reflecting the violence perpetuated by members of the community itself. In doing so,The Hate U Give does not develop a predictable rhythm but rather hits in often surprising doses that leave audiences with a pungent aftertaste as they are positioned to feel the grief of these communities.
It is empathetic in exposing the warmth and communal support within the black community, aided by the use of soft, diffusely lit cinematography of Garden Heights, yet it also presents an unflinching portrayal of growing anger in the community, through scenes reminiscent of news footage of protests and tear gas.
Tillman knew his characters well to the point that they felt realistically drawn, and felt as if they could be our neighbours, our classmates, our friends. Yet this did not extend to the portrayal of the “privileged white kids” of Williamson Prep. Though their tendency towards cultural appropriation provided humour in an otherwise largely heart-wrenching film, for example their rapping of Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” and their occasional Black Lives Matter protest in order to ditch class, it felt unrealised. This felt especially true for the character of Hailey (Sabrina Carpenter).
For the first half of the film she was portrayed as Starr’s best friend, yets quickly pivoted to becoming representative of a closeted racist who unequivocally defends police brutality from a position of privilege. This typification felt somewhat unexplained, forced and tokenistic, and the film would have benefited by spending more time on engaging more deeply with such views as well as substantiating the relationship between the two girls. The ending of the film was also tied up loosely in a short space of time in a light and somewhat whimsical manner, crudely contrasting with the melodramatic tone of the rest of the film. Like the way Luc Besson’s The Big Blue, was changed to have a “happy” ending for American audiences, The Hate U Give similarly ended on a bright note that was overdone to the point that it felt inconsistent, and degraded the impact of the film.
The cast however did a brilliant job, particularly Amandla Stenberg (Starr) who gave a gruelling performance, inhabiting the space of her character, and deeply exploring the nuances of Starr’s pain, her hope and her eventual quest to find her voice. Similarly, Russell Hornsby (who plays Starr’s father, Maverick) gave an evocative performance and gave life to a father figure who is strong and resilient, yet similarly scared for his children from the onset of the very first scene, where he sternly makes his children memorise the course of action and their rights if they are ever pulled over by a police officer.
Rooted in Tupac Shakur’s THUG LIFE tattoo (an acronym for “The Hate U Give Little Infants F**** Everybody”), The Hate U Give is a soul-stirring film that is undeniably worth watching, especially in its intelligent exploration of the reverberating effects of violence in communities.
Written by Tiana (17) edited by Jessica Ellicott (as part of the Film in Revolt writing mentorship program).