Rize
by David LaChapelle
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Dragon, La Niņa, Larry Berry, Miss Prissy, Tommy the ClownDirector: David LaChapelle
Brand: Lions Gate
Producer: David LaChapelle
Producer: Anthony Talauega
Producer: Barry Peele
Producer: Coleen Haynes
Producer: Drew Carolan
Producer: Ellen Jacobson
Producer: Ishbel Whitaker
Producer: Karim Torki
Producer: Marc Hawker
Producer: Rebecca Skinner
Producer: Richmond Taleuega
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 86 minutes
Published: 2005-10-01
DVD Release Date: 2005-10-25
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Lions Gate
Movie Reviews of Rize
Movie Review: You can't explain it...you just got to see it
Summary: 5 Stars
This documentary has everything that some of the other so called urban "dance" movies lack ("honey", "You got served" most recently") which is authentic and inspiring real life characters. These kids are going through their own struggles, but instead of getting caught up in the gang lifestyle, they have created a positive expression which as far as i could tell could leave them with very little energy for getting in trouble.
The most interesting are the 'clowns' whose facepainting and frenetic, aggressive dance hearkens back to the African tribal rituals. (This in itself could make an interesting anthropological study because they claim to never have been exposed to the tribal dancing and were surprised at the uncanny similarity in moves and styles themselves) The clowns were the originators of the dance movement, and Tommy the Clown is the father of it all. Fortuneately, the clowns seem to enjoy some immunity from the local gang pressures as they traverse the hood in clown makeup and dress. This makes them a refuge for the youth wanting to avoid the gang lifestyle
There is another group called the "Krumpers" who seem to be dance rivals, which is brought to climax at a "battlezone" the highlight comptetition in the film.
This does not seem so much a new style to me, as a mixture of lot of urban styles just thrown together at breakneck speed. There are elements of locking, poppin, a little breakdancing, MC Hammer, new style, that stuff you see in Sean Paul videos, and 'stripper dancing' which is basically just booty poppin, etc etc all done at high speed with not so much focus on individual moves, but just a crazy arm flailing stutter stepping loss of inhibition. Some of it looks a little repetitive and not that difficult (if your in shape), but some of it is eyepopping incredible. Part of the visual appeal is the sheer energy being expended. You would definetly risk injury if you got too close.
It is unfortunate when you see the enmity that arises from the battlezone competition. But unfortuneately the competitive element is always been part of urban dance. Instead of being treated like an art form to just be showcased and appreciated, it has to be a one-up-man-ship contest, with lots of taunting and selfindulgent chestpounding egoism.
What I really did appreciate is how many of the characters are shown to return to the church and faith in Christ, and using their dance to glorify God. The scene of the praise dancing in the church near the end is beautifully moving and powerful.
Perhaps most interesting to me, I couldn't help feeling there is a certain underlying tension throughout the movie with the recognition that this "Krumpstyle" dancing is undeniably a deep spiritual and cultural expression and (though it is being utilized in a positive way for the most part) how it fits with the Christian faith that some of the main players profess. An interesting point of debate is what is the nature of the spirit that inspires the dance in the first place. As a dance enthusianst and Christian, I admit there is a blurry line where it crosses into hedonistic sexual suggestiveness, with booty poppin being way past the blurry part. I would have been curious to hear the opinions of some of the main characters on this topic, but it is not brought up. Possibly because LaChappelle, as you can see on the special features, is somewhat obsequious around the cast, and probably did not want to make them crawfish about the subject. Now that I think about it, it is really an obvious omition: gospel music is played over footage of dancing at both ends of the movie! And what did the older church folk featured think about it all? who knows...
Summary of Rize
RIZE - DVD MovieThe riveting documentary Rize explores the physically astounding Los Angeles worlds of clowning and krumping--both heightened and spectacular styles of hip-hop dance. With roots in breakdancing and the furious response to the Rodney King beating, clowning was launched by Tommy the Clown, a former drug runner turned children's-party-clown, with brightly colored jumpsuits and a psychedelic afro wig. To gather attention, Tommy began to gyrate and writhe in the street; before long, he was not only getting gigs, he'd inspired dozens of other clown groups, all with their own spin on face make-up and Tommy's dance moves. With a little cross-pollination from stripper dance moves and a good dose of aggression, clowning begat krumping, which resembles a cross between an epileptic seizure and ecstatic possession--what one practitioner calls "ghetto ballet." In addition to dancing that will make your eyes pop, Rize interviews dancers like Tight Eyez, La Nina, Lil C, and Miss Prissy, building a portrait of a subculture, culminating in a dance battle between clowns and krumps called BattleZone V. Directed by photographer and music video director David LaChappelle, Rize persuasively portrays these twin dance movements as not only a personal exorcism, but as the effort of a community to escape the corrosive forces of gangs and drugs. --Bret Fetzer
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