Rize

Famed photographer David LaChapelle gets behind a different kind of lens for RIZE--his feature film debut--and heads to Los Angeles to make his mark in the cinematic world, shooting a documentary about a style of hip-hop dance called 'krumping'. Dividing his time between the personal lives of the dancers and some spectacular on-screen demonstrations courtesy of the cream of the krumpers, LaChapelle's bright, vivacious photographic style makes an impressive translation to the big screen. Central to LaChapelle's film is Tommy 'The Clown' Johnson. In the wake of the 1992 L. A. riots, Tommy performed as a travelling clown act for children's parties. Unable to satisfy the enormous demand for his act, Tommy set up a small clown-recruiting business which flourished under his tutelage. As the 21st century dawned, Tommy noticed his younger recruits had worked a unique and highly agile dance routine into their act, and krumping was born. LaChapelle slowly unravels the ties that bind Tommy and his cohorts throughout the movie; broken homes, domestic violence, and other horrors have cast an irrepressibly dark shadow over the dancers' lives. RIZE illustrates how krumping offers a cathartic release from these personal demons, and as the dancers cavort and gyrate for the cameras, it feels like their tortured souls are literally trying to escape from their bodies. In fact, krumping has become so successful that many of the dancers have turned their back on the shadowy gang activities that formerly offered them a highly dangerous outlet for their pent-up frustrations. As the dancers perform a jaw-dropping array of moves, a deliriously infectious mixture of fun, intensity, and jubilant release pours from the screen. Playing out like a west-coast relative to fellow 2005 film, the New York-based MAD HOT BALLROOM, LaChapelle's movie gloriously demonstrates the healing powers of dance.