Ghett'a Life Review

1. Who was your favorite character (s) from the film? Why?

My favorite characters from the film are: Derrick and Dawn Thompson. I really admire Derrick's perseverance and his fight to become the best boxer in Jamaica. But also I like how he realizes how the dons and the corrupt politicians are only looking out for themselves and not for the people. I really like Dawn Thompson because she was a good representation of a woman fighting sexism and patriarchy. Throughout the film she shows that she is an independent woman and it not just a mother or a wife, but a human being and strong woman.

2. How does the film compare to the other Jamaican films from the 70s? (Besides visual effects, think about the plot and character development).

In this film, the director, Chris Browne (nephew of Perry Henzell, director of The Harder They Come) developes not only Derrick Thompson but the characters surrounding such as Dawn and Lenny Thompson, his best friend Big Toe, his friend/rival Gully Rat, Manuel and Camella, and of course, the villain, Don Sin. The previous films focused mainly on the main character (Ivanhoe Martin and Horsemouth) and their role in society, while his film focuses on main character and his friends and family.  In this case, the viewer gets to know other characters on a deeper level.

Something that is important to mention that this film just like the other films did not have a big budget to count on, however the stories that all three films tell never seemed to need a lot of money to be produced and show the world the reality of Jamaica.

3. How are woman portrayed in this film? Is it a little or big advancement compared to the films from the 1970's?

As I said before, I think that Dawn Thompson was one of the best characters of the film. She was one of the most developed and compared to the other films, she was a protagonist. Camella, however, was a secondary character and even though she was able to act like a bridge between Derrick and the people at Bruising Gym, she was not given that many lines and served as a typical love interest of the main male character. We never know if she also competed with the other boys or was just there because of her grandfather.

In general, women are still portrayed to stereotypical roles throughout the film,  Camella as the secondary love interest, the women who were objectified during the boxing matches. Only Dawn Thomson was really able to break some of the traditional stereotypes.

However, it is important to remember that this film is a representation of Jamaican society, which remains very conservative and sexist, so therefore the film unfortunately could not be any different.