Tupac: Resurrection (R, 2003)

This mesmerizing documentary about the late rap star Tupac Shakur makes clear what a talented performer and vibrant presence he was, even for those who don't listen to rap music. Shakur's mother was one of the few women leaders of the Black Panthers. She went to prison when she was pregnant with him. He was deeply aware that he served time in prison before he was born. He respected his mother's activism but felt that he didn't get enough of her attention, and he missed having a strong male role model. He cared for his community but hated being poor. He briefly dealt drugs, but even the local dealers urged him to follow his dream. He loved performing and was accepted at a school for the arts. By the time he was a teenager, he was working professionally. By the time he was 20, he was a successful recording artist. He understood the irony when it was only after he became famous that he was picked up by the cops. A citation for jaywalking led to a confrontation that became a beating. Meanwhile, he is stunned and humbled to find that his visibility has young people looking to him for leadership. He takes it seriously, and gives a lot of thought to what he wants to tell them. He helps develop a code of behavior for "thugs" that covers things like keeping civilians out of the line of fire in gang warfare and taking responsibility for children.

TUPAC: RESURRECTION tells a deeply moving story of a gifted, thoughtful, and intelligent young man who has to cope with the challenges of poverty and then has to manage the even more complex challenges of success. And it deals forthrightly with the problems of race and class in America, from racism and police brutality to black on black crime, absent fathers, and the uneasy relationship between showbiz "thug life" and the real thing. The movie was produced by Shakur's mother and MTV, which provided access to broadcast footage, interviews, and outtakes. That allows Shakur, eerily, to tell the story himself, even predicting his own violent death. He warns us that his will be a story of "violence, redemption, and love," and that proves to be true.

Shakur is clearly and refreshingly as free from any form of prejudice as it is possible to be, at least in his own relationships. He uses racist and sexist language in the songs he writes, but also writes about respecting women. He has enormous charm but is also a thoughtful young man who wants to understand the world better and he wants to make an important contribution. He admits his mistakes freely and he learns from them and moves on. Anyone who watches this movie will feel his loss and want to carry forward his dreams.

Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Lauren Lazin
Cast: Bill Bellamy, Sean P. Diddy Combs, Tupac Shakur
Genre: Drama
Run time: 111 minutes
Theatrical release: November 13, 2003
DVD release: June 14, 2004
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong language and images of drugs, violence and sex