Flicks about gangsters have always been popular here in the United States. In the forties the biggest stars around would appear in one such film after another making their careers. Perhaps one of the reasons audiences are drawn to this type of movie is the inherent danger of living the life of an outlaw. We go about our lives obeying the law and listening to the authorities but for a couple of hours in the darkness of the movie theaters we can live vicariously through these men who consider themselves above the law. They are also great for providing the gamut of emotions from love to hate along with plenty of action. At the heart of these stories is the eternal battle between good and evil. In the older more classic variations of this genre the division between the heroes and villains is clearly defined. There was very little overlap between the two sides. In more recent years a sense of moral ambiguity has crept in to the plots. Now it is far more common to find the anti-hero. This is the character that acts like a bad guy but has a great deal on internal conflict. It does make for some interesting variations and one of the latest is ‘Baby’ by Juwan Chung. This is an American film with a decidedly Asian flavor to it. The film was created on a budget of only $400,000 which is meager even by the standards of independent films. Like many Indy movies this one is an experiment and the cast and crew were taking a chance in making it. There was the danger of being compared too heavily with other films of similar themes. Many have referred to this movie as an Asian American variation of ‘Boyz n the Hood’. True, there are some similarities. Both are ethnically based and depict involvement in gangs. That is where the validity of the comparison should end. This is a film that is able to stand on its own merits and needs to be viewed with that in mind. It is necessary to respect the film maker and his work by trying to see the individual spin he makes on a familiar theme. You can decide for yourself now with the DVD releases through Xenon Pictures and distributor Lion’s Gate. This is a brutal film that will show you an aspect of life that is completely different from your own and that, after all, is what cinema is all about.

The script was provided by Juwan Chung and Felix Chan. Chung has a previous film that he wrote and directed ‘Cake’ which was concerned with drug dealers in Los Angles. Chan is new to the business this being his first screenplay. The setting is perfect. Los Angels is an American city but one with a myriad of cultural influences. Neighborhoods in this city are tiny segments of foreign cultures and attitudes. The youth in these sections of the city are often trapped between two vastly different life styles. They want to fit in to the American ways but are also attached to their cultural roots. This is something that many of us can identify with; we all at one point or another came from families that traveled to this new country. In the decades long past many ethnic groups have been derided by society. The Irish and Italians would have fit the same roles as shown here in the thirties and forties. In turn each group provides its own generation of disaffected youth. In this case it is the Asian American’s that are the focus of the story. The thing about this group it is extremely diverse within itself. What is commonly referred to as Asia is actually composed of people from ancestry ranging from Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese. Each represents an ancient and proud society of their own. There are also rivalries and out right animosities that go back centuries. When street gangs form they are not only engaged in a rebellion against the prevailing authorities of society but other Asian factions in the neighborhood.

Juwan Chung also directed this film. He is brutal in his depiction of the violence inherent in the life of a member of a street gang. There is no romantic quality shown here only that the youths that are in the gangs will be fortunate indeed if they are sent to prison instead of being gunned down in the streets of their own neighborhoods. The story is admittedly rather routine and even bland in comparison to what many modern gangster flicks show. In many ways it reminded me more of those old flicks from the forties in this respect. Segments of the film depict the boredom that happens between the intense violence. Chung brings the audience into a world where a boy of only eighteen has seen more violence than a man coming home from war. For these characters violence is just a part of everyday life. There is an internal code of honor, so to speak, within the gangs. They live by it and are more than willing to die enforcing it.

As the film opens we see Baby (David Huynh) who has just finished a seven year stint in a juvenile prison. He is currently only eighteen years old but is already a hardened man with the emotions of a boy. As a legal adult he is set free once again. At the age of eleven Baby was convicted of manslaughter. As he steps out beyond the gates and fences he is holding a bag with all his belongings. There is no one there to meet him; he is on his own. He takes the public bus back to the neighborhood that started his life of crime; it is the only place he knows. Upon his return nothing is as he remembers. His girl friend has taken up with somebody else. All of his friends are either murdered or in jail. The neighborhood is now controlled by a new set of gangsters with a new boss. Baby was not trained well for any legitimate career path. They only thing he knows is life as part of a gang and he sees his only option that he can see is to ask the new gang boss for work. His father wants nothing to do with him and any of his friends not involved in gangs avoid him but he does secure a position in the gang. Baby has one thing on his mind; to take back control of his life.

This is a flawed film but in this case the missteps seem to work. Considering the topics here the film should not be a slick piece of Hollywood style. Chung brings to the audience a look inside the life and mind of a confused young man. He has been kicked around all of his life and now that he is an adult he wants to plot his own course. If anyone gets in the way; well he has killed before. Xenon and Lion’s Gate have a reputation for experimental films like this. They are willing to take a chance with a new film maker. This is vital because without films like this the art of cinema would never advance. This is vicious but ultimately a worth while film.