When NPR did a series of stories on gangs in Los Angeles, I remembered that I'd been meaning to see this film and found it streaming online. It was pretty disappointing, but not a complete waste of time. I'm not an expert on gangs, but I believe the other reviewer may be correct that this film is relatively realistic, and at the same time, it is not excessively graphic for a gang movie, focusing on various lives in the neighborhood.
The worst part was definitely the acting. Some of the writing was painful too, but there were a few outstanding scenes. My favorite bit was a monologue (I think by Ernesto?) about the different feelings he gets (disgust, superiority, sexual arousal) from selling drugs to desperate whites. Certain characters like Blue Eyes and Puppet were also interesting, but otherwise the story was pretty weak. There was an interesting attempt at carrying a feminist message but it didn't really work for me. If anyone knows of a better film about Chicano gangs, let me know.
The worst part was definitely the acting. Some of the writing was painful too, but there were a few outstanding scenes. My favorite bit was a monologue (I think by Ernesto?) about the different feelings he gets (disgust, superiority, sexual arousal) from selling drugs to desperate whites. Certain characters like Blue Eyes and Puppet were also interesting, but otherwise the story was pretty weak. There was an interesting attempt at carrying a feminist message but it didn't really work for me. If anyone knows of a better film about Chicano gangs, let me know.