Spike Lee's latest movie, "DROP Squad" (Deprogramming and Restoration of Pride), is about a leftist underground organization formed to "enlighten" African Americans who have chosen to reject or taint their own heritage.
Bruford Jamison Jr., played by Eriq LaSalle, is a successful black advertising agent. His success, however, is sometimes at the expense of his own race. He goes to extremes to safeguard his "safe Negro image" with the white-dominated agency even if he has to downgrade people of his own race.
This is where the bizarre plot starts to unfold.
Bruford's sister, Leonora, is ashamed to see that he is blinded by greed for money and position and calls on the DROP squad to set her brother's priorities straight. The Squad kidnaps Bruford, takes him to their underground headquarters and tortures him for three weeks in hopes that he will leave the "behavioral modification program" as a man who is proud of his background.
The torture scenes are too violent and seem unneccessary. They are supposed to enlighten Bruford about his ethnicity, not brainwash and beat him up. Bruford doesn't want to change. Force will only create artificial beliefs and values within him.
The story doesn't go in depth about social status or the conflict between the rich and the poor. It doesnŐt emphasize the part of society that makes Bruford act the way he does and think that it is neccessary for him to be the way he is. He wants to be successful, but finds out that in this society you have to conform to the patterns of the majority in order to succeed.
More narrative would have cleared up the story. The scenes are pretty hectic as they move from a torture scene to BrufordŐs thoughts of his past and back. The story moves at a pace in which you could lose track and miss important details.
Also, the main issue of the movie is not centered on racism, as a viewer may think before seeing the movie. Instead the focus is more on the struggle to keep ethnic pride and values within a race.
Overall, "DROP Squad" is not a movie I would want to spend $6 to watch. The story is not well balanced and expresses only one side. If you really want to see it, wait until it is released on video.