Straight Outta Compton (2015) is based on on the rise and fall of the music group M.W.A throughout the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. The film shows how the treatment of black people changed through the later decades of the 20th century but also through the rise in fame. The music group, M.W.A, were a highly controversal hip hop (gang-star rap) group from California, they were active from 1986 to 1991. The group are known for the derogatory and controversial songs against women and the police system.
A good example of how black people were treated in the 1980’s and 90’s is demonstrated in scene where N.W.A were talking and standing around outside the recording studio, they were spotted by the local police and forced to lie down on their stomachs by the a number of policeman, both black and white skinned. The police had wrongly assumed the music group were up to no good. After getting down on their faces their manger,Gerry, came out of the studio and questioned the police about their actions. Instead of treating Gerry, a white middle aged man, in the same way as N.W.A. They simply asked him to step away and go back inside the studio. Gerry refused and disputed the police actions and told the members of N.W.A to stand up and get back inside, the group did so. While they headed back inside a few of the police officers shouted out in anger “Thats right, go back to your master” This portrays the ingrained racism of law enforcement in the time period and how they still treated young black men as if they were slaves, with the reference to Gerry being their master. Also that the police forced the members of N.W.A down on the floor however they did not do the same to Gerry, shows that the police instinctively treated Gerry better because of his skin colour which relates back to segregation and slavery.
The Police and FBI throughout the film are shown to be Maintaining the status quo from the history of treatment of black people in America. This is portrayed through a number of narratives in the film. Firstly after N.W.A brought out the the song “Fuck the Police” both law enforcement organisations are shown to have a negative view of the song, this is shown when the FBI send N.W.A a letter informing and threading the band if they carry on performing the song; this is because the song incites people to rebel against them. Eventually the FBI are shown trying to control the group, by forcing them to not perform the song at their concert, preventing their freedom of speech. Which relates back to when black people didn’t have freedom of speech during their enslavement under large organisations owned and managed by white men. Also, it relates to later on in American history, during segregation when again, black people did not have freedom of speech due to the government, controlled by white men, viewing them as second class citizens.
The film also shows that there are white people who try to take advance advantage of N.W.A. The music group’s manager, Gerry, is shown to wait until after the band has make a significant amount of money before offering them a contracts with the music label, but then also preventing them from seeking legal advice over the contracts. This illustrates that Gerry and the music recording label are trying to abuse their relationship with the members of the band by allowing trust to develop and then misuse that trust to their advantage. Which can relate back to slavery with white men believing they can use black men to their advantage, to make money. This also shows that the music label organisation and Gerry are trying to bribe the band as they wait until they have make a significant amount of money before offering them contacts. This shows that there was an institutional view that black people were stupid and therefore treated as if they were stupid.
Finally, Straight outta Compton shows that black people in the late 20th century were subject to racism from law enforcement and also private organisations and in many different situations. From business contracts through to simply standing on the side of street. When they tried to fight back, it would be clapped down from by more powerful law enforcement. Overall Black people were treated better than before but still with restrictions due to a institutionalised racism created from the history of the treatment of black people in America.
Pete Musgrave Media 