Dir. David LaChapelle, 2005, US, 86 mins
Featuring: Tommy the Clown, Larry, Lil Tommy, Big X, La Nina,
Tight Eyez, Dragon, Baby Tight Eyez, Lil C, Miss Prissy
This documentary film tells the story of krumping, a unique dance phenomenon based in the tough neighbourhood of South Central Los Angeles. As well as exploring the origins of krumping and chronicling its development, Rize is also a story about triumphing over adversity and expressing yourself. But anyone who reads that last sentence and expects this film to offer Hollywood-style moralising or sugar-coated homilies will be pleasantly surprised. This may be an inspirational film, but it doesn’t gloss over the harsh reality of the dancers’ lives.
What’s immediately apparent in the film is the extent to which LaChapelle and his crew are able to document krumping in such a direct yet unobtrusive way. LaChapelle gets the subjects of his film to open up to the camera in a series of absorbing interviews and captures some fantastic dancing. On the whole, LaChapelle keeps his directorial distance and avoids any flashy filmmaking gimmicks, allowing a dance movement that’s already pulsing with so much life, passion and intelligence to speak for itself. The dancers that feature in Rize are more than capable of expressing themselves, both visually (via their incredible dancing abilities) and verbally (by sharing their sober and intelligent comments with us in interview clips).
There are a number of memorable people in the film, with the central figure being inspirational mentor Tommy the Clown, who established the krumping dance style in South Central LA in the early 1990s. Tommy the Clown used his clown costume and dancing to entertain families at children’s parties, and he was later joined by other youngsters who were inspired by him. Some of clowns who were influenced by Tommy continue to follow his dance style, while others have taken the dancing in a more extreme direction, breaking off from the clown group and forming their own krumping collectives. But what exactly is krumping? Simply put, krumping is a physically demanding type of dance, with fast, gyrating movements that seem improvisational but are the result of intense practice and training.
Much of the krumping that we see in the film shows people dancing in the streets and incorporating everyday objects like chain link fences into their expressive dances, which almost resemble role plays that mimic violent confrontations and feature sexually charged dance movements. The krumping dance movement has grown so rapidly in its popularity that there is now a krumping contest that takes place in an auditorium packed with spectators. This competition is like a modern day version of gladiatorial combat, with two dancers at a time facing-off in a series of contests that echo the rapping jousts seen in 8 Mile (2002).
As well as being awestruck by the dancers’ talents, LaChapelle is also sympathetic to their dilemmas and mindful of the problems that can plague their lives. The camera never feels intrusive, even when a distraught Tommy discovers that his home has been burgled. LaChapelle does not exploit Tommy’s misery or suffering, but empathises with his plight and gives him to room express himself. LaChapelle spares us none of the anguish and pain that can be a part of the dancers’ lives, such as the moment when we discover that a young girl has become a victim of gun violence.
Although many of the people’s lives in South Central LA have been plagued by seemingly random violence, many of the communities that are unnerved by these occurrences are nevertheless brought together via a new shared subculture, which has been created both as a form of artistic expression and a way to cope with the unpredictable chaos of the real world. The story of krumping may have its roots in the racial and social unease of the Watts riots and LA riots (with the notorious Rodney King beating being re-enacted to unsettling effect by three dancers who mimic police brutality by ‘hitting’ their ‘victim’), but it offers hope to many of the people documented in the film.
Overall, Rize is a remarkable film that encompasses politics, community, religion and race. It’s a celebration of an astonishing dance movement whose philosophy should prove inspirational to all those who see it. Whether you’re a krumper or not, the film’s message is clear – you can rise above your circumstances, however bad they may be, and express yourself. The people that we see in this compelling documentary are proof that this is possible.
Martyn Bamber
© Martyn Bamber, December 2005
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