Ghetto physics is really a movie about social and corporate power structures. While there are those among us that would have you believe that there is no correlation between executive boardrooms and street brothels, there certainly is, according to the information in this film.
The basic premise of Ghetto Physics is that the same tactics, power plays, and techniques used by the pimps and thugs of the streets are being employed by those on Wall Street. Like other documentaries, Ghetto Physics uses a combination of stock footage, interviews, animations and other adaptations to drive its point home. There are also quite a number of well-known figures making appearances in this documentary, including those associated with academia as well as the street contingent. Noted cameos from Ice-T as well as academic / NPR luminaries like Dr. Cornell West make this film a multi-layered treat. But the real draw of this movie is in its message. The resulting dissection of boardroom tactics from a streetwise perspective is nothing short of eye-opening. The examples that are given throughout the course of the film really help to explain how street-tactics have “trickled-up” to so-called, “high society”.
Alright, let’s talk music. A movie that puts a central focus on the streets surely features music that’s also of the same characterization, right? The answer of course is, yes; Ghetto Physics features a cavalcade of hip hop that’s both entertaining and hard-hitting (especially given the aim of the documentary).
Ghetto physics is (equal parts) an entertaining docu-drama as well as a hard-hitting expose of something we all pretty much knew already but maybe couldn’t explain, or put into words. If you’re a hip hop fan, into sociology-focused films, or just looking for an interesting new documentary to sink into, Ghetto Physics is fun and eye-opening experience.
