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 do we see the political conflict portrayed in the film? Remember to use the article Michael Manley's Vision to help you

Derrick's family belongs to the People's National Party (PNP) and lives in a garrison belonging to this party, while the gym where he trains at and characters such as Gully Rat live belong to the Jamaican Labour Party (JLP). We see the violence between both parties through their gangs, Don Sin being the leader of the PNP gang and Gully Rat's older brother being the leader of the JLP gang. In the film, it is election year and that is why we see the escalation of violence throughout the film between the rival political parties and their gangs. It is important to remember that both parties have become part of the neoliberal system in Jamaica and it appears that the main difference between them is identity and not so much ideology as was the case during the 70's and 80's.


3. How are woman portrayed in this film? Is it a little or big advancement compared to The Harder They Come?

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. But compared to Elsa's lack of protagonism, they have a lot of protagonism and can be considered main characters.

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.