Gangs have been around for several decades. Especially at the beginning of the nineties, when gangster rap was listened to all around the globe everyone started to learn more about them. Various movies were made about these groups and outside America gangs were formed with the same names as the original American gangs (in The Hague, Netherlands there is a Crips gang as well, which was subject of the 2009 documentary Crips, Strapped ‘n Strong). Bastards of the Party is a documentary which investigates the history of gangs and what caused these groups to form.
The movie has been made by Cle Sloan, a member of the Athens Park Bloods. He broadened his horizon and started working on films (he was involved in both Training Day starring Denzel Washington and Tears of the Sun) and turned into an activist. By looking at the history of gangs he found out why gangs were started and that these gangs actually had goals they wanted to reach. He uses this knowledge to try to change the mindstate of current gang members.
With Bastards of the Party he manages to give a fascinating look into this phenomenon. He shows the ideals the Black Panthers were fighting for, the influence of movies on the way of thinking, but also the way that the government handled the issue and probably made it worse by doing so.
In order to solve an issue you have to know what caused it and Sloan really did his homework when it comes to the subject. Because of his own experience of being part of a gang he manages to give a unique perspective (including conversations with other gang members and footage you probably wouldn’t see otherwise). If you are interested in learning more about gangs, then Bastards of the Party is a movie which you can’t miss. Slippin: Ten years with the bloods offered a very personal story, this offers a bird eye’s view.
You can watch this documentary for free at Freedocumentaries.org
Score: 9