Director
John Singleton
Leading Actors/Actresses
Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, and Ice Cube
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Angela Basset, Morris Chesnut, and Nia Long
Genre
Drama
Language
English
Awards
Boyz 'n the Hood was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Singleton
Date of Release
July 12th, 1991
Producer
Steve Nicolaides
Setting and Context
Inglewood, California, the hood
Narrator and Point of View
The film is told through the point of view of three people: Trey, Reva, and Darrin
Tone and Mood
Dangerous, Violent, Energetic, Fun, Solemn, Strange, Disappointment, Heroic, Sad, and Revelatory
Protagonist and Antagonist
People/Their choices and circumstances
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the film involves those who were born in the "hood" and their struggle to get past the poor and difficult circumstances they were born in and succeed.
Climax
The climax of film occurs when Ricky is murdered.
Foreshadowing
Ricky's murder is foreshadowed early on in the film.
Understatement
The profound effect of a single choice is present though arguably understated in the film.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Although very well-made and well-shot, Boyz 'n the Hood isn't innovative in filming or lighting or camera techniques.
Allusions
To geography (places around California), the bible, religion (Christianity/Catholicism, particularly), mythology, science, technology, music and the music industry (particularly as it relates to rap), culture and cultural movements (gangs/race unrest and relations), popular culture, television, other movies (mainly Do the Right Thing), books, and weapons (particularly the type of guns that are used).
Paradox
All the boys grew up in the same place with relatively similar circumstances, yet they all turned out vastly different.
Parallelism
There are no major instances of parallelism in the film.
