Gang Violence In 'Freedom Writers'

2 years after the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, racial tensions still remain high. And for the poorer communities in Long Beach California, gang life thrived. It was no different for Woodrow Wilson High School. Once one of the best in the country, now it is a place filled with gang violence, soon to be dropouts and ethnic minorities. In this 2007 drama film directed by Richard LaGravenese and based on a real story, the protagonist(Erin Gruwell) is a new teacher at W.W High School. She was fascinated by the voluntary integration program the school implemented a few years back, and was gladly accepted by her superior Margaret Campbell to teach a troubled class. Upon the arrival of the students on the first day of freshman year, she was challenged by the nature of the Class. Rival gangs often fought in class without Ms.Gruwell’s Regards, and no one really had the intention to learn. As Ms.Gruwell grew to connect with her Students after various attempts, she has made it her mission to help them receive more than Just a secondary education. No matter what it takes.

Character analysis

In the movie, character development played a huge role in progressing the story. For example, as time went on, the students grew a deeper understanding of life’s values and bonded together like a family. Whereas in the beginning the class was all divided because of the racial/gang.

Segregation

One character where the film was concentrated around was Erin Gruwell. She is a smart and independent woman who as a teacher, wanted to change the students’ lives for the better. For example, even when her husband deemed the kids in her classroom stupid and hopeless, she stood up for them and argued back. Another one of her characteristics that helped her was her creativity. The ability to come up with games and activities that made the students realize each others hardships was really the foundation block that united the Freedom Writers later on in the film. Another interesting character in the movie is Eva Benitez, one of the main students in the class. When she was little, white cops arrested her dad even though he was innocent, just because he was respected by his gang. Since then, Eva has developed a hatred for white people and strictly followed the gang code her father taught her. One important turn of events is when Eva’s boyfriend shot and killed an innocent person in a convenience store. Eva was a prime witness, and she does not want to snitch on her boyfriend regardless of whether it was the right thing to do.

But after learning about Anne Frank’s story and going on class expeditions to museums, she had a shift in her morals. After much thought, Eva decided it would be best to tell the truth and be done with it. Overall, the characters were portrayed amazingly and is in my opinion one of the highlights of the movie.

Music

Out of all the filming factors in this movie, I think the music was easily the most excellent. Otherwise mediocre film, the music helps tremendously with capturing characters' feelings and emotions.For example, at 1:22:31, “This is how we do it” kicks in. Now this song perfectly portrays the situation as the song is very upbeat/vibrant and since the scene then transitions to the students raising money to arrange a meeting with holocaust survivor Miep Gies. When everyone thought the arrangement was impossible, they still managed to pull it off. The Freedom Writers soundtrack features 15 songs. And all of the songs were made to sound up to date. Ranging from popular music artists 2PAC and will.i.am. The main reason why music stood out to me was the fact that it was enjoyable! It added a finishing touch to the piece and in my opinion was the best part about the movie.

Theme: In my opinion, I think the main theme of the film is to be understanding to others, and having empathy. In the beginning, Ms.Gruwell’s class despised each other because of gang rivalry and race. But Ms.Gruwell’s teaching methods made them see that they had more in common as they think. For example, the line game showed how many people have each lost a friend or family in gang violence, or the one student’s story about his troubles outside of school. When she finishes, the class goes into a group hug.

A less significant theme is that you can do anything if you put 100% in it. This theme illustrated by Erin Gruwell. What she had to sacrifice for these kids in her classroom. Working 3 jobs, scheduling meetings with school administrators, and even a divorce! But in the end, she helped the children succeed and left a huge positive impact on their lives. To conclude, I would rate this piece a ⅘. Everything from the filming to the production was good, but the story needed a little bit more spice. The storyline also felt cliched. Yes I know it’s based on a true story and you can’t modify it to make it more interesting, but that doesn’t change the fact that there were no twists and turns at all and everything turned out like you’d expect. In all honesty, I would have enjoyed watching this more if it was a documentary. A documentary could’ve given me more details and backstory unlike the film. Overall, The Freedom Writers is a truly inspirational film and I would recommend this movie to anyone who has an interest in learning about the freedom writers.