Review : Blood In Blood Out (1993)

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Three brothers get involved in gang wars and drugs in East LA 1972 and have their life turned upside down and have to part. As they try to piece their life back together they realize their true calling in life. But will their destiny take them further away or back towards each other?



 EPIC. Thats right. It really is epic at least when you consider the length. 190 minutes of drama which encompasses 13 years and many twists and turns. It was like seeing a movie twice over. And its pretty hard for me to sit and do the same thing that long. But thank god it was nice or i would have been lying on the bed all day with a headache. And it amazes me that I sat through a movie that long without much fuss. It was pretty nice. The LA which many outsiders never see or hear about. The east LA, the gang wars, the drugs, inmates running the prisons and rape attempt on a white prisoner. And thirteen years of twist and turns in the fortune of the three brothers and their familias as tragedy and happiness went hand in hand of a community which just wanted to live and work with dignity as some of their own went the wrong way and destroyed their careers and lives. And with much of the second half happening in the prison it needed a good genuine drama which thankfully is delivered. The prison and the stories feel real. And you feel destroyed as you see criminals getting criminalized in an institution made to reform them. Gay cooks and prisoners and racially segregated groups which ran their business from the inside in lieu of money. Attacks being planned and committed on fellow prisoners. Its all there as it takes a lot out of you to watch and absorb all this and more for more three hours. But all said and done it engrosses you for most the time and its only in the middle when not much is happening when you look at the time remaining. But as the plotting and action starts you again get absorbed. I got out with a real good knowledge of the people and a side of one of my favourite cities I never knew about. For that I am happy that I watched this. 

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Director Taylor Hackford(Parker,Ray,The Devil's Advocate) has made a very good movie. Based on poet Jimmy Baca's life, who has also written the script, it shows the life of people who do wrong and try to get out of it. Everyone needs a chance but not everyone gets it. The bad life sucks you in and maybe you realize it was what your destiny had in store for you. And it could be that crime is your true calling. And you go back never to return as your ties are all broken and everyone you called friend turns against you. And this has been shown brilliantly by Taylor. Quite a pacy start gives way to a long human emotional slow burn drama before it shifts back to prison. And again picks up pace to only end on a whimper. The writer and director had to have done something more unsafe than what they showed there. Its good don't dont get me wrong. But when compared with the dark happenings in the lives of the people, only another tragedy could have been a much more appropriate ending. And it feels so sudden that I was shocked that the film ended. To cut off the length maybe,but not a nice decision.

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 On the acting front its a marvellous starcast led by some unknown to me names like Damian Chapa(Miklo) and Jesse Borrego(Cruz). And some known names like Danny Trejo(Geronimo), Billy Bob Thorton(Lightning) and Delroy Lindo(Bonafide) also line up this fabulously acted movie. Not for second will you think that these men were just acting. They give so much life to these crooks they protray as also the fact they arent the baddest ones in that prison. And most of the movie is dedicated to Damian who acts really well first as the wannabe gang leader who is afraid and then as the leader amongst them in prison with charisma. The transformation is believable. But the best is Benjamin Bratt(Paco). Just superb as the gang member turned detective. He shows the dilemma of a man who has to against his own brother very well. In the end a mammoth cast which gels well and makes for an interesting and at some places, heart breaking view. 


Cinematography is pretty nice. Capturing the inside of the jail pretty starkly. As also LA without the pizazz generally associated with the place. With a decent editing and musical score to boot it surpasses my expectation. 


HighTension Verdict: If you need some knowledge about the drug business and suffering caused by it and violence and the real inside of a jail with their racial division and disunity. And have the patience to sit out for three hours. Then this movie is for you. I was totally engrossed for much of the running time. Maybe you you will too. Go for it. The only problem. The ending. And yes the long running time too.


HighTension Meter: 7/10.


Best QUOTES:

Prison Librarian: Cocaine is America's cup of coffee.