November 3, 2009
GEOG 351
Film Review of 8 Mile
Curtis Hanson’s urban drama 8 Mile, reveals the story of an ambitious white rap artist desperate to make a better life for himself. The main character, Jimmy Smith Jr., more commonly known to his friends as Rabbit, features real-life entertainer, Eminem, a multi-platinum recording artist. The film is semi-autobiographical, based on events in Eminem’s life prior to his fame. 8 Mile follows Jimmy’s struggle to be recognized for his lyrical talent while dealing with a troubled home life and surviving in a lower socio-economic environment. 8 Mile is a film that demonstrates processes of race, class, and segregation.
The story takes place in Detroit, Michigan, a city rapidly falling victim to economic devastation and de-industrialization. Detroit is often seen as a prime example of what de-industrialization can do to an area and its people. The global auto crisis was the primary cause of factory closings and mass layoffs, transforming Detroit into the poorest major city in the United Sates. There is now a high level of poverty, and noticeable racial segregation. Detroit has numerous neighborhoods suffering from urban decay, consisting of vacant properties that are prairie lands. The effects of de-industrialization are illustrated in the film when Jimmy takes the bus to work at New Detroit Stamping. Rundown buildings, vandalized with graffiti, include the abandoned business of the Penthouse Golf Club, a symbol of better days. 8 Mile was successful in its accurate depiction of Detroit as an urban wasteland. Curtis Hanson portrays the city in a rundown, desolate, and dangerous manner that promotes a real sense of what Detroit is really like.
