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BCA 101
ANALYTICAL REPORT
Title : Four Brothers Year of Original Release : August 12, 2005 Director : John Singleton Released by : Paramount Pictures Video Released by : DI Bonaventura Pictures PLOT AND STRUCTURE: When their mother, Evelyn Mercer ( Fionnula Flanagan ) is murdered at a local convenience store in Detroit brings four brothers back together. Bobby ( Mark Wahlberg ), Jeremiah ( Andre 3000 ), Jack ( Garrett Hedlund ), and Angel ( Tyrese Gibson ) reunite after years of being apart and soon believe that their mother’s death was set up. Determine to prove Lieutenant Green ( Terrence Howard ) and his partner Fowler ( Josh Charles ) that they’re right, they set out to find the murders their selves. As the brothers search for the criminals, they soon reveal more about one of their brother’s (Jeremiah) business dealings with a local well- known gang leader Victor Sweet ( Chitwetel Ejiofor ) and how their brother’s business got shut down by Councilman Douglas ( Barry Henley ). They learn that Victor Sweet has connections in congress, the police department, everywhere. Keeping that in mind, as Lieutenant Green investigates the murder he recalls something someone mentioned to him about an unknown police report that was filed he knows nothing about. As he digs deeper, he sees that Evelyn stopped by the precinct before she died. Surprisingly, Evelyn is greeted by detective Fowler
and talked to him for an hour or so. Fowler never mentioned this meeting to Green. Once everything begins to add up the brothers tells Jeremiah his financial plans are the reason their mother is dead. Jeremiah denies everything saying he refused to partner with Sweet, with that Sweet made it impossible for him to receive any financial help. As the brothers are arguing, hell breaks loose when Jack answers the door and a snowball is thrown at him. Jack goes after the thrower and hits a corner to learn it was a set up. Jack gets shot, which causes a shootout between the brothers and Victor’s gang. Fowler kills Green and plays as if he didn’t. Meanwhile, the shootout is over and Jack lays dead causing pain to his brothers. The brothers set it find Sweet to pay him to take the hits off their heads and kills him. They also go after Fowler but he sets his self up and gets killed by cops. In the end the three brothers get justice and moves on to happy lives. THEMES: This film wanted to show what love and family truly is. The film has four brothers of different race but these brothers don’t base their brotherhood off of color. They care for one another as if they were the same race and color. They all have bonded over the love they have for their mother. The love for their mother wasn’t the only bond they shared. The love they had for each other became stronger throughout the film. The movie is about becoming one and working together. It really shows what Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream as far as him wanting racism to stop. With
Bobby Mercer , played by Mark Wahlberg, is the older protective brother/father figure especially over the youngest brother Jack. This character was the mystery of the movie. Everyone had an assumption that he went to jail after he left home because he became hard to reach. Andre 3000’s character, Jeremiah Mercer , was the rational brother with a typical life. Settled down and got married with two kids. He stops living the fast life as you see in the movie, every time violence happens Jeremiah is not present but with his kids. Angel Mercer was the second in command for Bobby. He was the streetwise brother that was in the army. He is the first to find out about his brother Jeremiah financial problems and connecting it to his mother’s death. Jack Mercer , the baby brother, was played by Garrett Hedlund. In this movie, he played the part of a quiet, sensitive, punk rock, and traumatized brother but was a tag along with the others. They treated him as a child. For instance, in the scene where the money is being handed out, everyone gets a fair share of money and Jack receives just a necklace. He was the glue of the brothers because they all tried to protect him but in the end he dies. DIALOGUE:
“You keep knocking on the devil’s door long enough and sooner or later someone’s gonna answer you.” – LT. Green. He’s saying stop doing bad before karma comes around “Evelyn was in this city for a long time. She saw a lot that was terrible, but she stayed hopeful. She still believed that things were getting better, sometimes despite all evidence. And that's a hard thing to do, stay hopeful. Even when you can't find a reason.”- Jeremiah Mercer. Since his mother kept her hope, his hope for better started growing stronger. “Always so good to have you back home, son. You gonna stick around a little while this time?” – Evelyn Mercer. She wants her son to come around more and make sure her sons stay together. She doesn’t want her death to be the only reason they came together. “I never bothered looking for my real parents. Because Evelyn was enough. To go from foster house to foster house. Those people are just watching. Just looking for an extra.... You were hardly given anything to eat. You learn to take what you can get. When Evelyn took me in, it was no different for me. Until she caught me with my pockets all full. And she tried to explain to me what it meant to be adopted, and what it meant to have a family, what it meant to have a last name... And she would say: "Jackie... there's no reason to steal your own toothbrush anymore." Cause I would, I would, I would take it, and I would put it in my sock drawer...” – Jack Mercer. He appreciative of what his mother has given him and doesn’t look for his parents because he considers Evelyn his only parent.
John Singleton used a lot of editing techniques in this film. With the film being action packed, his actions scenes were cut at perfect timing. An example is when the car is almost about to hit the camera when it swerves but it hurries and cuts to a different shot with a rhythmic pattern. Another scene is towards the end the camera zooms in on Jeremiah face as he drives because he is suddenly shocked when he hears a gunshot which happens to be for his brother Jack. GENRE AND CULTURAL/HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS: This film is an action, suspense, and gangster packed film. It delivers all the genres well. Such as action, the film carries a lot of scenes with guns and shootouts happening. It leaves suspense when the brothers all always searching for evidence in secret places and your waiting for them to get caught and they never do. It also shows gangs and how they do their dirty work. This movie always keeps you on the edge of your seat beginning to end. PERSONAL REACTION: I truly love the concept of this film. I’ve seen it quite a few times and it really makes a point stick in your head (just because someone doesn’t identify with the same background doesn’t mean they can’t have an impact on your life.) I believe it shows great examples of determination and the love a family can give to you. Having family is the what helps you get through life. The death in this film also shows that someone’s death brings people back together to get reconnected and
that shows mw to appreciate the people I have now because who knows when you’ll ever see them again. OUTSIDE SOURCES: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430105/
