Slam
USA 1998
Reviewed by Richard Kelly
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
Washington DC. Raymond Joshua writes rhymes, and deals grass. His connection Big Mike is shot during a deal and Raymond, trying to flee, is arrested. Bail is set high, and Raymond's public defender warns him he will serve time, depending upon the extent of his "co-operation". In custody, Raymond encounters hostility, but consoles himself with poetry. Hopha, the top dog among the inmates, tells Raymond he is a target for homeboys who suspect he ratted on Big Mike. Raymond averts a fight by 'slamming' a rap-tirade against mindless violence. He meets Lauren, who runs a writing workshop for prisoners. She encourages his writing. Impressed by Raymond, Hopha puts up his bail money.
Raymond is reunited with Big Mike, who was blinded in the shooting. He convinces Big Mike and his crew that retaliation only prolongs the cycle of violence. Raymond meets Lauren at a party and they become lovers. She confesses a past of drug addiction and prostitution, and tells him he must take responsibility for his crime. They argue, but Raymond shows up later at a slam club where Lauren recites her verses. Raymond performs to great applause, is reconciled with Lauren, and prepares to meet his judgement.
Review
"They say slavery has been abolished," rapper Ice-T once opined, "except for the convicted felon." Words failed Ice thereafter and he could only add, "Y'all need to think about that." Clearly, Marc Levin has been thinking about it: his debut feature shows how incarceration looms dispiritingly large across the lives of impoverished US blacks. Bars, chains and shades of the prison house dominate Slam's visual scheme, a grim reminder of the vile manner in which Africans were dragged into the Americas. A stern-visaged prison guard warns our hero Raymond: "We're wiping out our race here in Washington DC." True, Slam's opening credits convey a sense that, if you're poor and black in the nation's capital, life in or out of prison is equally dismal: shooting dice, hitting the weight-pile, waiting for something to go down.
Later, as Raymond and Lauren make romance in the lull before he is sentenced for innocuous grass-peddling, they wander through a DC street market, and Lauren purchases a drawing of a slave ship. Formerly a crack-addicted prostitute, she chides Raymond for his exploitative profession, which reduced her to a slave-overseer relationship with her pimp and supplier. Raymond resists Lauren's condemnation; but as he confesses his fear of returning to prison, his description of the sensation of captivity ("I woke up on a fucking ship") carries an eerie resonance.
Such is the socio-political problem Slam describes. Does it suggest any solution? Alas, you have to wonder what Levin (an acclaimed documentarian) was thinking of when he hired the woefully disreputable mayor of DC, Marion Barry Jr, to play the judge at Raymond's arraignment. As Barry bemoans how "drugs are killing our communities" and how congress obstructs the mayor's reforming hand, his hypocrisy is so fulsome you might gag. But Barry, however unpalatably, has lived the American Dream of untrammelled opportunism. Lauren, the conscience of this film (played by poet and script-contributor Sonja Sohn), plies her own kind of self-help gibberish. Bidding a tearful farewell to her imprisoned pupils, she urges them to shape their own destinies. "We are capitalists," asserts one brother. And there's a general agreement: if only they had the resources, each could make his own way in the world. Alas, as Marion Barry could inform them, the US system offers a convicted felon not much in the way of a fresh start, not even 40 acres and a pack mule - but crime, if nothing else, pays.
Slamming is seen to provide its own form of release from this cage. When Raymond first overhears a cell-prisoner rhyming, and promptly bursts out with a rap of his own, it's an exciting moment. But Raymond's slams swiftly descend, like so much rap, into doggerel and needless profanity. Their advocacy of non-violence is at least heartening. In a hilariously thoughtful moment, gangster Hopha (Bonz Malone, who also had a hand in the script) compares Raymond's rhymes to his reading of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Finally, however, the film's chief moral lesson, imparted by Lauren, is that freedom is prison: Raymond must accept punishment, and be redeemed by it. (Has Levin been reading Dostoevsky, or watching Bresson's Pickpocket?) So Raymond readies himself for more porridge, but first he's rewarded with those standard-issue Hollywood sweeteners: an audience's adoring applause, and the unconditional love of a pretty woman.
Slam prevails over its scant budget ($1 million), though certain repetitive stylistic quirks (erratic video inserts, moody montages of close-up and slo-mo) seem only to ratchet up the running time. We regularly revisit Raymond's attempted flight from the cops, as if in homage to Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song (1971). But there's some nicely arbitrary shot-making. At one pensive moment, Raymond stands by a river in dying sunlight, the water's surface ripples like molten gold, and his gangling frame becomes semi-translucent. In the final sequence, Raymond stalks up to the foot of the George Washington Monument, a 500-foot Masonic obelisk. The camera tilts alarmingly, until the monument's vertical becomes an illuminated walkway. Where to? Levin only knows, but it's a usefully oblique note on which to close.
Credits
- Producers
- Henri M. Kessler
- Richard Stratton
- Marc Levin
- Screenplay
- Sonja Sohn
- Marc Levin
- Bonz Malone
- Saul Williams
- Richard Stratton
- Story
- Marc Levin
- Richard Stratton
- Director of Photography
- Mark Benjamin
- Editor
- Emir Lewis
- Music
- DJ Spooky
- ©Offline Entertainment Group
- Production Companies
- An Offline Entertainment Group and Slam Pictures presentation
- Executive Producers
- David Peipers
- Henri M. Kessler
- Associate Producer
- Daphne Pinkerson
- Production Co-ordinator
- Eleni Tsokanos
- Script Editor
- Pam Widener
- 2nd Camera/Club Shoot
- Alan S. Deutsch
- Videographer
- Daphne Pinkerson
- Additional Editing
- Brian Cotnoir
- Editorial Consultants
- Tim Squyres
- Alison Ellwood
- Make-up
- Zeal Harris
- Effects Make-up
- Jeremy Saulnier
- Title Concept
- John Kirby
- Titles Design
- Du Art Digital
- Marcus Janner
- Holly Kempner
- Jason Stoff
- Optical Supervisor
- Richard Skeete
- Music Supervisors
- Happy Walters
- Julianne Kelley
- Music Co-ordinators
- Immortal Records
- Manish Raval
- Tom Wolfe
- Music Consultants
- Ricky Leigh Mensh
- Mona Scott
- Soundtrack
- "Galactic Funk (Live from the Black Hole Mix)", "Phase Interlude", "Epilogue (Processed Digital Feedback)", "Hologrammic Dub", "Primary Inversion", "Nihilism Dub", "Anansi Abstrakt", "Prologue (The DuChamp Effect)", "The Terran of Alpha Centauri Year 2794", "High Density", "Juba" by Paul D. Miller, performed by DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid; "What's Your Name" by Claude Johnson; "I Dare You" by R. Ross, H. Pierre, R. Frierson, performed by Black Rob, contains samples of "Under the Influence of Love" by B. White, D. Politi, performed by Love Unlimited; "I Can See" by R. Bean, T. Washington, D. Hill, performed by Tekitha & Cappadonna; "Hey" by Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, performed by Q-Tip of ATribe Called Quest; "Sellin' D.O.P.E. (Drugs Oppress People Everyday)" by C. Gavin, L. Alford, performed by dead prez; "Country Livin' (The World I Know)" by Esthero, Martin McKinney, performed by Esthero; "The Park" by J. Trugman, R. Jones, A. Ivey, performed by Ol' Dirty Bastard (Big Baby Jesus) & Coolio, contains samples from "Rock Creek Park" by J. Hall, S. Johnson, K. Killgo, K. Toney, O. Saunders, performed by The Blackbyrds; "Sex, Money & Drugs" by Big Punisher, R.L. Haggar, Keir Gist, Darren Lighty, performed by Big Punisher featuring Next, contains samples from "Sunshine" by Phillip Bailey, Maurice White, Al McKay, performed by Earth Wind & Fire; "Thug Poetry" by V. Santiago, A. Brown, E. Almonte, M. Allen, performed by Noreaga featuring Brown & Maze, contains samples from "Rainbow Ride" by J. Crain, C. Daniels, W. DiGregorio, F. Edwards, C. Hayward, J. Marshall, performed by The Charlie Daniels Band; "Paid in Full" by Eric Barrier, William Griffin; "Take a Walk in My Shoes" by T. Smith, R. McNair, W. Lewis, L. Jones, R. Fisher, performed by Flipmode Squad featuring Busta Rhymes, Rampage, Spliffstar, Babysham & Rab-Diggs; "Feel My Gat Blow" by A. Johnson, K. Muchita, performed by Mobb Deep; "Time Is Running Out" by/performed by Brand Nubian; "Ain't No Stoppin'" by Pras Michel, AJ-Baseer Holly, Goel Witherspoon, Nasis Hurst, Marvin Moore-Hough, David Mcrae, performed by Most Wanted featuring Pras & The Product, contains samples from "One to One" by Randolph Muller, performed by Brass Construction
- Sound Design
- Ray Palagy
- Philippe DesLoovere
- Sound
- David Hocs
- Re-recording Mixers
- Digital Cinema ? Rick Dior
- Sync Sound ? David Jaunai
- Dialogue Editors
- Neil Cedar
- Tony Slocum
- Creative Consultant
- Bonz Malone
- Technical Consultant
- Rhozier T. Brown
- Cast
- Saul Williams
- Raymond 'Ray' Joshua
- Sonja Sohn
- Lauren Bell
- Beau Sia
- Jimmy Huang
- Bonz Malone
- Hopha
- Lawrence Wilson
- Big Mike
- Rhozier Brown
- Public Defender
- Mayor Marion Barry Jr
- judge
- Andre Taylor
- China
- Momolu Stewart
- Bay, jail rapper
- Ron Jones
- Reamer Shedrick
- Doo Wop cops
- Allan E. Lucas
- chief c.o.
- Dominic Chianese Jr
- Officer Dom
- Jerome Goldman
- jail class poet 'Why'
- DJ Renegade
- party poet 'Diminuendo in Blue'
- Liza Jessie Peterson
- slam poet 'Ice Cream'
- Taylor Mali
- slam poet 'Like'
- Bob Holman
- slam M.C.
- Richard Stratton
- prosecutor
- Dodge City
- Weusi Baraka
- weed buyer
- Eddie Black
- Harry Campbell
- Robert Philson
- crew
- Jail
- Daniel M. Favors
- Johnny Foye
- c.o.'s
- Jesse Hicks
- command centre c.o.
- Carolyn Morris
- hallway c.o.
- Leonard A. Thompson Jr
- Todd Baker
- bullpen inmates
- Joseph Wilson
- poetry class
- Talib Watson
- thug life crew
- Kevin Kennedy
- Donnell Robinson
- van inmates
- Dodge City extras
- Ronald Armstrong
- Zachary Banks
- Karkesha Best
- Kenneth Blackson
- Joseph Bragg
- Kecia Braxton
- Clara Britt
- Paul C. Brown
- LaRoy Bryant
- Dameka Carpenter
- Nakell Carpenter
- Channelle Carter
- Harry Cashwell
- Lorenzo Charlene
- Charmaine Chase
- Carlos Cole
- Tyrone Connor
- Ebony Copeland
- Bijón Davis
- Charles Davis
- Karen Davis
- Arlisha Doctor
- Caprice Donaldson
- David Donaldson
- Milton Evans
- Josh Felsen
- Terence Fenwick
- Michelle Flowers
- Carinia Fowlkes
- David Green
- Marc Green
- Marquise Green
- Matthew Green
- Ikea Haight
- Nyikeva Haight
- Linda Haynes
- William D. Haynes Jr.
- Denise Helon
- Harry Herbert Jr.
- Kevin Hudgens
- Brittney Jackson
- Jeanette Jackson
- Orlando Jackson
- Johany Jacobs
- Coressa Johnson
- James Johnson
- Lavar Kearney
- Eric Kitttrell Jr. [sic]
- Reggie Lassiter
- Thomas Lay
- James Linder
- Keyonna McDuffe
- Kevin Metts
- Thomas (Tony) Matthes
- Laressa Merritt
- Chuck Miller
- Diamond Miller
- Stephen Miller
- Danielle Mitchell
- Dawn Mitchell
- Fernando Moore
- Howard Morgan
- Davonte Parker
- Denard Parker
- Arvaje Prather
- Carla Pinkney
- Eric Prather
- Lionell Pugh
- John Richardson
- Michelle Robinson
- Shaqonda Samuels
- Brian Scott
- Sharon Sharon
- Wayne Smith
- Edward Stephens
- Reginald Sullivan
- Carlton Talley
- Sabrina Tate
- Stephan Tate
- Jehrel Thurston
- Matthew Upshaw
- Franklin Upshaw
- Derrick Walker
- Sharon Washington
- Osborne West
- Christopher Williams
- Darnell Williams
- Eric J. Williams
- Tyrone Williams
- Velitha Williams
- Alden Wilson
- Alexis Woodland
- Aveon Young
- Jason Young
- DC courtroom
- Maurice Alexander
- Tariq Amir
- Anthony Brown
- Gregory J. Ferrell
- Latanya Michelle Graham
- Albert L. Hewley Jr
- Dwayne Roberts
- Chris Robinson
- Amos M. Sirleaf
- Bertrand Thomas
- Ruth Yohannes
- Department of Corrections
- Deborah Bardes
- Darryl Butler
- Anderson E. Carter
- Wilfred Cooper
- Gerry Dyson
- Donald Edwards
- John L. Gentry
- Yvette C. Gordon
- Jay Hawkins
- Levi Ibeawuchi
- Agnes Johnson
- Edward L. Joyner
- Hazel Lee
- Stephen Murphy
- Edwin Onyetwu
- Marc Parris
- Howard Perry
- Lt Samuel Richardson
- Tony A. Robinson
- Gwen Robinson-El
- Quiah Saydee
- Janie Scruggs
- Christopher Simmons
- Denise Thomas
- Karl White
- Louis J. White
- poetry party
- Sean Briggs
- Tz-Nehisi Coates
- Mignonette E. Dooley
- Assata Efuru Ma'at
- Jonathan Gray
- Brandon D. Johnson
- Alan C. Page
- Victor V. Soto
- Jennifer Thomas
- Imani Tolliver
- Maurice Wave
- Yolanda Wilson
- Rachel Zellars
- poetry slam
- Beans 'Father'
- Jessica Care Moore 'Sweetest Revolutionary'
- John Sinclair 'Spiritual'
- Khari Akinsheye
- Songul Akturk
- Garvier Antony
- Herve Auguste
- Melissa Battazar
- Linda Belkebir
- Libby Black
- Jamila Brewton
- H. Bruno
- Sherile Cargill
- Adonna Carr
- Kimberli Carter-Harrington
- Jelani Cobb
- Shely Davidou
- Lehima Davis
- Paul Devlin
- Kathy Ebel
- Fidelis Feeley
- Robert Flores
- Giorgio Gomelsky
- Karen Glass
- Lydia Goldstein
- Helene Gralnick
- Marvin Gralnick
- Leon Greenbaum
- Steve Hager
- Wood Harris
- Deborah Hill
- Steve Hodgkins
- Sophia Holman
- Brian Kelly
- Klini Ibura Salaam
- Mirlande Jean-Gilles
- Mary L. Johnson
- Dirk Joseph
- Ilyana Kadushin
- Rhonda Keyser
- Jungwon Kim
- Jamaki Knight
- Michael Ladd
- Ashley Louis
- J.C. Louis
- Anne Linsmayer
- M. Little
- Bruce Mack
- Ray Martin
- Reggie Mason
- Steven McLaughlin
- Norman McPherson
- Stewart Meyer
- Oliver Mallah
- Mario Moorhead
- Nasir Naqvi
- Gretchen Nelson
- Carmen O'Connor
- Eric Quiroga
- Charley Ray
- Daisy Reinhardt
- Susan Rogers
- Judith Rahilly
- Stefanie Scarborough
- Marvin J. Sewell
- Robyn Schultz
- Shariff Simmons
- Chris Simuneh
- Mark Smith
- Steven Starr
- Mariahadessa Tallie
- Edwin Torres
- Alistair Towers
- Freedome Traine
- S. Umar
- Imani Uzuri
- E.K. Webb
- Zeynep Wichmann
- Afriqya Wilson
- Mel-Christopher Young
- Certificate
- 15
- Distributor
- Metro Tartan Distributors
- 9,272 feet
- 103 minutes 1 second
- Dolby digital
- In Colour