Tupac: Resurrection Movie Review:


The legacy of late rap artist Tupac Shakur is vividly told in the new documentary "Tupac: Resurrection." Whether you hated or loved Shakur, this
documentary is a compelling piece of work from MTV veteran director Lauren Lazin.
The strength and uniqueness of the film is that whole documentary is told through Shakur’s own words.

Lazin pieces together his life through many of his interviews and comments delivered before he was murdered on September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The film opens with Shakur stating, "This is my story, a story about ambition, violence, redemption and love." This statement is a reflection of Shakur’s life and this film.

Shakur himself was a complex artist that was at time cherished and also rejected. He was also a poet, a storyteller, and a successful film actor
("Poetic Justice," "Juice," and "Gang Related"). The portrayal of Shakur in the film comes from the artist himself, which once again gives this documentary
originality. Shakur was a great storyteller that always spoke his mind and delivered his inner-feelings, no matter what anyone else thought. Through the interviews, Shakur explains his drive for change and music, which at times were
very controversial. The best selling rap artist of all-time also admits his faults and criticisms as well as apologizing for some of the worst decisions of
his life.

The documentary opens at night in Las Vegas where Shakur was shot, and then it flashes back to tell his life from childhood. Born in 1971 in New York City, Shakur was raised by his mother Afeni Shakur, who was a former member of
the Black Panthers as well as being executive producer of this film. Tupac Shakur’s story first chronicles through his high school experiences, where he trained in the arts. The audience is then shifted through Shakur’s rise as a artist with the rap group Digital Underground, his own success, outspokenness, lyrics, actions, time in prison, and the rap wars that still hold controversy around his murder in 1996.

Outside of the potency of Shakur narrating the documentary in his own words, the film has taken flashy ideas from previous documentaries. Lazin uses many techniques to highlight sentences, words, or headlines from publications to standout to the audience. In addition to, Lazin also takes photo stills and moves them around in the vision of the camera. These choices seem to be comprised from last year’s terrific "The Kid Stays in the Picture," which was a documentary about movie producer Robert Evans. However, the techniques and
choices used by Lazin are effective throughout the film. The study of Shakur’s life does not come across as one-sided or in favor of; the faults of this artist are given specific attention.

This is a solid documentary about a controversial, complex, and frank artist that’s murder is still a mystery. Fans of Shakur will enjoy this film
thoroughly, but people who did not like him or even know of him will still find his life story resonant. A previous documentary about Shakur’s murder was
released last year called, "Biggie & Tupac." Having unseen the film, I am unable to compare the two, but "Tupac: Resurrection" is a vigorous documentary.

Grade: B

11/13/03

Joseph C. Tucker

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