The Education of Sonny Carson

sonny died this year, and this movie is just a testament to part of his greatness. it is wonderful tale, that could is so visually stimulating because it drips truth. only a true story could convey so much emotion.

sonny we miss you.

and i hope another movie will tell the rest of your story; your life.

Since childhood, "Sonny Carson" (Rony Clanton) has grown up in the inner city of New York (in this particular case the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn) and this film is a portrayal of the struggles that he and his friends are forced to endure just to survive. The sad part is that not many live through it. Now, prior to watching this movie I was unaware that it was based on a true story. Yet despite the fact that there were some scenes and elements which were embellished or exaggerated out of proportion to actual historical fact, this doesn't detract from the powerful story or make this film less fascinating or thought-provoking. Put quite simply, this is a good movie made even better by the superb performance of Rony Clanton and the excellent direction of Michael Campus. Likewise, Joyce Walker (as Sonny Carson's girlfriend, "Virginia") also performed quite well too. All things said, I liked this movie and recommend it to viewers who might enjoy a motion picture of this type. Above average.

This movie represents an important historical documentary of a great revolutionary activist and freedom fighter Abubadika Sonny Carson. His-story represents an example and reminder that we must never join forces with those who believe that youth that have lost their way should be tossed away like so many pieces of garbage. In every youth there lives a Sonny Carson and it is up to each of us to help each of them find that spirit perhaps laying dormant in themselves. Once our youth find that revolutionary spirit in themselves they will be able to rise from the ashes of self-destructiveness and take their places as builders and protectors of the community. Fathers share this story and movie with your sons show them the trans-formative power of revolutionary activism. Challenge them play their role in uplifting our community.

The Education of Sonny Carson is a forgotten 70s film that foregoes the visceral thrill present in so-called 'blaxploitation' films in favour of a more realistic approach to a similar tale of crime and redemption. The film bears some similarities to the verite approach of Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song but is infinitely superior to that movie in the storytelling department. Based on Carson's autobiography, the title character (played with absolute conviction by Rony Clanton) is a bright young man who gets sucked into gang turf warfare that ends with him doing time in the slammer. There are good supporting performances by B.T. Taylor as fellow Lord, Crazy, and Joyce Walker as Sonny's girlfriend Virginia, whose addiction to heroin ultimately turns Carson's life around. The location footage in Bedford-Stuyvesant is excellent, and the battle between the Lords and the Hawks anticipates similar scenes in The Warriors and the Wanderers (both 1979).

My friend had told me about this movie and I didn't know what it was then it popped up on Black Starz one night so I decided to watch it trusting my friend's judgement. This movie is definitely one of the many good 'hood movies out there right now!! I even found out where rappers like The LOX, Mobb Deep, Ghostface and Common got some of those samples from. Definitely a gang land drama to remember.

10/10