JJ = John John, immigrant or descendant of immigrants, darkish skin, lives in a decent flat in a decent housing project (not a ghetto). Father is not around and Mother takes care of JJ's needs the best she can.
One day JJ and his friend Sluggo (!), cruising in a stolen boat rescue pre teenager Patricia from a dangerous situation. Patricia's father Frank invites the boys to his luxurious home, offers them dry clothes and praises them lavishly. Frank lives with Patricia and her teenage sister E = Elisabeth; Mother has died a short time ago. There is an instant attraction between JJ and E.
The night of the same day Sluggo proposes to JJ and a group of friends to burglarize Frank's house. JJ goes along and even rejects the suggestion that he can act just as lookout without entering the house (apparently nobody has heard of security cameras). In the rest of the movie the relation of JJ and E progresses. At the same time, JJ slides down the slippery slope of crime with ease and ends up in police custody with prospects of serving time after waving loaded pistols in people's faces.
This is it. After the initial burglary I found it difficult to care for JJ or to take the romance seriously. Some critics have called the film a "Romeo and Juliet story" but, Romeo did not burglarize the Capulet's palace. Whether intended or not, the underlying message is: dark skinned immigrants take naturally to crime. I found this objectionable.
One day JJ and his friend Sluggo (!), cruising in a stolen boat rescue pre teenager Patricia from a dangerous situation. Patricia's father Frank invites the boys to his luxurious home, offers them dry clothes and praises them lavishly. Frank lives with Patricia and her teenage sister E = Elisabeth; Mother has died a short time ago. There is an instant attraction between JJ and E.
The night of the same day Sluggo proposes to JJ and a group of friends to burglarize Frank's house. JJ goes along and even rejects the suggestion that he can act just as lookout without entering the house (apparently nobody has heard of security cameras). In the rest of the movie the relation of JJ and E progresses. At the same time, JJ slides down the slippery slope of crime with ease and ends up in police custody with prospects of serving time after waving loaded pistols in people's faces.
This is it. After the initial burglary I found it difficult to care for JJ or to take the romance seriously. Some critics have called the film a "Romeo and Juliet story" but, Romeo did not burglarize the Capulet's palace. Whether intended or not, the underlying message is: dark skinned immigrants take naturally to crime. I found this objectionable.
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