RIZE – An ETC Movie Review

RIZE – by Lions Gates Film

The one word ETC review:

Power

In the Old Testament there is a tribe of Israel called the Levites. They were the priests, artisans and musicians of Israel. They were responsible for leading worship, building and keeping the temple.

In 1995 I had a conversation with Dennis Jernigan one night after filming for a series of shows. We talked about the arts and how the modern day Levitical artists have virtually been extracted from the church. I will never forget my conversation with him because it started an ongoing prayer of mine that the Lord would bring the "Levites" back. In 1995 the church (not every church but the church as a whole) had not celebrated the arts in a way that compelled the world to notice. The church was missing a very large number of artistic people who would be conduits of expression, freedom and grace. The church had grown accustomed to life without these talents flowing freely and abundantly around and especially through them. Those who I will now refer to as creatives have not been encouraged in their talents of viewing and expressing the natural and supernatural.

This minimization of creativity is a grief. A terrible plight within the western church that needs to be restored. In 2005 there are great signs that the tide is turning toward embracing the creatives.

When I saw the trailer for RIZE back when the movie first came out I had this compelling desire to see the movie. Because of travel and lack of mainstream exposure usually associated with films I quite frankly forgot about it. When it became available in the On Demand service through my cable company, I rented it tonight. All I knew was that it was some movie about a new dance style. That's it. I didn't know that by the end of the movie I would be weeping and praising the Lord for such beauty arising in south central LA.

I gravitate toward anything that is part of the human experience and I especially love watching social and cultural evolution. Especially when it is done in a way that incorporates the past to help define the present and speak to the possibilities of the future.

RIZE starts by giving a history of LA through the race riots of 1963 and again in 1992. The movie is quite honest about the state of "HollyWatts" today. The movie talks about a number of young dancers, their lives, their dance crews, their philosophy on life. Now, Tommy the Hip Hop clown was a little bit of a mess. Don't get me wrong, I think he would agree. Even so, he started something amazing and it has just taken off. His talents gave and is giving young troubled kids an alternative to the gangs.

RIZE features two crews, the Clowns and the Krumps and I have never ever ever seen people move and dance that fast. No CGI here people… completely human and amazing. The Clowns are clever and highly creative while the Krumps are simply amazing. The Krumps were born out of the Clown groups (there are over 50 of these groups now.) There is competition among these dance groups but instead of acting like the gangs and start shooting, they have dance battles. The movie features one of these battles and it is a stunning spectacle.

I won't spoil it by telling you who wins.

During all of this you see the lives of these folks. The movie is done in a documentary style. There isn't any acting. You hear of class warfare, gang warfare, tragedies…terrible tragedy… and in the midst of that you see glimmers of hope and joy.

There were a couple of scenes where the camera work is absolutely stunning. Amazing angles that artistically enhanced the dancers form and powerful grace.

So what was it that made me weep with joy? At the end of the movie we find that several of the Krump crew are born again Christians and they dance in church on Sunday. The movie ends with the song "O Happy Day." When I saw Miss Prissy (the young woman in the above picture) dancing before the altar of the Lord, I couldn't help but weep with joy.

The thought that was coming to mind is that the Lord is going to Celebrate His modern Levites and their expressions of creativity. He is liberating us and bringing us up exactly where He wants us. His Creatives cover the spectrum of human experience and expression. We cannot escape the passion and power He has implanted in our souls. Throughout the movie I felt connected even though I was raised a world apart from this environment. In that moment of seeing these young people "krump" for Christ I knew why I was compelled to see this movie.

It is a movie about my Siblings.

Talent transcends pain no matter what the neighborhood. Embrace the creative.

The Creator and His creation will RIZE in LA, and around the world.

I am going to add this DVD to my collection.