Buy Young Soul Rebels on DVD

Young Soul Rebels

DVD

More Info

Usually ships in
5-10 days

$22.49 (10% off)
List Price: ~~$24.99~~

When new special editions or price reductions are announced.

Synopsis

Isaac Julien's landmark film is finally on DVD! A capsule in time with a completely fab score and script from Isaac Julien.

Review

Winner of the Critic's Award at Cannes, Rebels is a 1977 London period piece which tells the story of two black disc jockeys (one gay, one straight). Late '70s British culture (notably punk and funk) comes through as the primary strength of the film, with lots of good music and fun clothes. The murder of a closeted gay friend, in a park known as a gay cruising place, provides the dramatic tension; and the ongoing hubbub of the Queen's 1977 Silver Jubilee celebration provides an almost surreal backdrop to the story.

Well-produced and beautifully shot (by Nina Kellgren) Rebels is the debut feature from black gay director Isaac Julien, whose previous and subsequent work (Looking for Langston, A Darker Side of Black) has broken new ground in film and video making practice.

-- Jenni Olson

Product Format Information

DVD : $22.49

Availability: Usually ships in
5-10 days
Close Caption: No
Region Code: 1
UPC: 712267270224

Studio : Strand Releasing

Languages: English (Primary)
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen

Customer Reviews

From the Heart

Amos Lassen wrote on 04/04/2011:

“Young Soul Rebels” is a musical wild ride. A sex act between two men of different races in London, 1977 turns into murder which then brings police into it and waves of controversy erupt in the Black community. This is the year of the Queen’s 50th anniversary and England is ready to party but there is a fight going on in the streets of the city. “The Punks”, “The Teds”, “The National Front” and “Natty Dreads” are going at it ad the authorities are more interesting in harassment than in solving the crime. The movie gives us a good hard look at sex, race and class in the years before Thatcher in London through a very different view. It tackles the very delicate issue of men of color being gay in a very uncompromising way. It does not give the expected stereotypical view of gay men and the angle of sexuality in integral to the full plot of the movie.
Chris and Caz run a radio show called “The Soul Patrol” on an underground station which specializes in Jazz Funk. A close friend is murdered in a park and Chris locates a piece of evidence as to identify the killer.
The message of the movie is celebration and integration and the movie which was made in 1991 has just found its way to DVD. It is much more than a gay movie since it deals with so many multi-cultural issues. It is also not a murder mystery. It addresses important social issues of race, class, politics and sexuality. The director, Isaac Julien, examines the social landscape of Britain of the 1970’s and shows how it affects youth within the marginalized black culture and looks at the point where certain subcultural borders crash. This collision of cultures is the way to understand this heartfelt film. Even the motive for the murder was based upon this collision. In fact, the murder is almost forgotten about until the end of the film.
Julien has ventured into an area that few care to touch and has done so admirably. Although there are flaws with the acting and the script, taken as a whole “Young Soul Rebels” has something to say and is an enjoyable experience