Rize (2004)
-
83% of critics liked it
(89 reviews) -
83% of users liked it
(8,522 ratings)
Noted photographer David LaChapelle makes his feature directorial debut with this documentary on a new facet of street culture in South Central Los Angeles. In 1992, after long-simmering racial tensions in Los Angeles erupted in riots following the verdicts in the Rodney King trial, a man named… More Noted photographer David LaChapelle makes his feature directorial debut with this documentary on a new facet of street culture in South Central Los Angeles. In 1992, after long-simmering racial tensions in Los Angeles erupted in riots following the verdicts in the Rodney King trial, a man named Tommy Johnson sought to spread a new message in a new way to the city's African-Americans. Creating a character called Tommy the Clown, Johnson developed an act that combined hip-hop-flavored comedy and dancing with an anti-gang and anti-violence message. Johnson's performances became wildly popular in South Central -- so much so that at one point, 50 different groups inspired by Johnson's example were performing in the area. In time, Johnson's loose-limbed dance style inspired a new wave of hip-hop street dancing called "krumping," a wildly athletic style in which arms, legs, and bodies fly with a frenzied abandon that moves at almost inhuman speeds. Rize follows the birth of clown dancing and krumping in South Central, and records how many young people have adopted the dance as a style of competition, offering a safer and healthier alternative to the gang culture that has long dominated Los Angeles. Rize premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- PG-13, 1 hr. 25 min.
- Directed By
- David LaChapelle
- Written By
- David LaChapelle
- Genres
- Documentary, Musical & Performing Arts, Special Interest
- In Theaters
- Jun 24, 2005 Limited
- On DVD
- Oct 25, 2005
- Studio
- Lions Gate Films
Critic Reviews
-
Susan Walker, Toronto Star
It's a well-known truth in the dance world that the body doesn't lie. As long as the characters in this film are dancing, we have little reason to doubt their sincerity. But once turned into talking heads, the dancers begin to sound like propagandists.
-
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
A vivid portrait of art rising from deprivation and social hopelessness.
-
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
[LaChapelle's] not the world's best documentarian, but he saw something that needed chronicling. So he turned his camera on the krumpers and let them do the rest. Smart choice.
-
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Clowning and krumping are urban art and art therapy in motion.
-
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
It's a feel-good film that actually makes you feel good.
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Photos
