Dead Presidents is a feature film in the genre of military and criminal drama.
| Dead presidents | |
|---|---|
| Dead presidents | |
 | |
| Genre | thriller drama crime film war film |
| Producer | Albert Hughes Allen Hughes |
| Producer | Albert Hughes Allen Hughes |
| Author script | Albert Hughes Allen Hughes Michael Henry Brown |
| In the main cast | Lorenz Tate Keith David Chris Tucker |
| Operator | Lisa Rinzler |
| Composer | Danny Elfman |
| Film company | Hollywood pictures |
| Duration | 119 minutes |
| Budget | 10 million dollars. [1] |
| Fees | 24 147 179 [2] |
| A country |  USA |
| Tongue | |
| Year | 1995 |
| IMDb | |
The plot is partially based on the memoirs of Haywood T. Kirkland, who served a prison term for robbery - his story is captured in Wallis Terry's book “Blood: The History of the Vietnam War, Told by Black Veterans” [3] .
Story
Anthony Curtis ( Lorenz Tate ) - a black teenager from the Bronx , in his spare time moonlighting as a bookmaker of an underground tote held by an old bartender Kirby ( Keith David ). After graduating from school, Anthony goes to Vietnam with his friends Skip ( Chris Tucker ) and Jose. The war changes Anthony, turning him from a broken teenager into a brutal killer.
Upon returning home, Curtis is trying to establish his life, but the nightmares of war do not give him rest, and the criminal quarters of his native city do not promise a great future. And then Curtis, having gathered friends, decides to go all-in and rob the collector armored car carrying "dead presidents" (as cash dollars are called in the thieves' jargon). Having painted their faces with white and black colors, the attackers set up an ambush. During the robbery, the friends of Curtis, Delail and Jose, who became a pyromaniac in the army, die, but Curtis, Skip and Kirby manage to hide with money, killing several guards and a police officer.
However, they do not have time to enjoy the money: their accomplice Cleon - a former colleague of Curtis and Skip, once a sophisticated sadist and a murderer who became a priest - does not stand up to remorse and begins to distribute cash on the street, attracting the attention of the police. Arrested Cleon quickly extradits his accomplices, and the police arrest Curtis and Kirby, while Skip "has time" to die from an overdose of drugs. Judge ( Martin Sheen ) sentenced Anthony to 25 years in prison and responded with a firm refusal to the words of a lawyer who appeals to Curtis' military awards. Furious with the seeming injustice, Curtis throws a chair at the judge, but the guards pull him out of the courtroom, after which Anthony goes to prison.
Theme
The main theme of the film is the difficulties experienced by war veterans trying to adapt to a peaceful society. Many veterans of the Vietnam War were denied medical care, compensation, and rewards [4] . Anthony is no exception, as is his friend Kirby, the one-legged veteran of the Korean War , forced to tackle crimes in order to earn a living.
Cast
- Lorenz Tate - Anthony Curtis
- Keith David - Kirby
- Chris Tucker - Skip
- Freddy Rodriguez - Jose
- N'Bush Wright - Delia Benson
- Rose Jackson - Juanita Benson
- Elvalett Hess - Mrs. Benson
- Michael Imperioli - d'Ambrosio
- David Barry Gray - Devon
- James Wolvett - Lieutenant Dugan
- Jennifer Lewis - Mrs. Curtis
- James Pickens Jr. - Mr. Curtis
- Clifton Powell - Cutty
- Martin Sheen - judge
- Terrence Howard - Cowboy
- Bokim Woodbine - Cleon
- Elizabeth Rodriguez - Marisol
Notes
- ↑ " Dead Presidents ” on the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ Dead Presidents on Box Office Mojo
- ↑ Reporting the War - Wallace Terry . African-American involvement in the Vietnam War . Date of treatment September 14, 2011. Archived March 21, 2012.
- ↑ Kelly Evans-Pfeifer. American Veterans. Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War. 1996.
Literature
- Terry W. Bloods: Black Veterans of the Vietnam War: An Oral History. - Ballantine Books, 1985 .-- 320 p. - ISBN 978-0345311979 . (eng.)