Cause analysis
The house I live in by Eugene Jarecki is the most interesting drug war film that I have ever watched. This is because the movie has histories and evidences showing the ways in which the contemporary nations have failed to eliminate drugs in the society. However, the film also indicates that modern societies only focus on fighting against the drug users. In the film, Jarecki was narrating about his personal as well as heartbreaking past and the ways in which it enabled him expose different level of prohibitions in drug trafficking. I found the film amazing when Jarecki was speaking to individuals from the two sides of war and most of them were insisting on the futility of prohibition as well as the roles that they play in the war against drugs. I was surprised to realize that the film also has people that were opposing the prohibition even though Jarecki mainly focused on the proponents. The film further focused on drug dealers on either the streets or justice system and their poor background and family. I think this aimed at humanizing the issue of drugs and indicate the ways in which it is dehumanizing and wounding people (Jarecki, 2012).
Notably, the editing of the film was in efficiently done. For example, it supported the piercing of thematic strands together, which made them appear as if they were speaking to each other during the progress of the film avoiding any form of confusion. I think by the film indicating that America has failed to deal with the issue of drug war was just a distrustful propaganda, which was unnecessary. This is because in 1991, Richard Nixon the by the president of America claimed that drug abuse is the number one public enemy. However, the penalties regarding drug abuse have also been growing making the rate of people incarcerated because of drugs to reduce. However, the film fails to indicate this because it claims that fight against drug is a war targeting poor minorities in America (Gibbs&Pye, 2005).
Comparative analysis
I watched the film over the weekend at an art center in Los Angeles, which was sponsored by the drug policy alliance. However, after the movie, I realized that the audience had a positive reaction towards the movie. This is not in line with my views because I think Jarecki was causing striking correlations to the wars that America has been conducting against drugs. This is so because if America could not have interest in fighting drugs, there could be no incarceration centers and alienation together with decimation among the individuals in the black communities. However, it has also commonly observed in America that the black persons highly dominate the percentage of individuals participating in drug abuse (DeForce,2012).
However, the film contradicts the real situation in America because the war against drug abuse started as earlier as 1968 when Nixon tackled drug use through carrying out different demonstrations. However, after the campaign failing, he returned with the same campaign in 1972 with the main aim of making drug abuse to be the number one enemy of the state. Later in 1980s, Ronald Reagan also showed interest in fighting against drugs when he cracked cocaine and implemented different harsher punishment measures including minimum sentences, which are still applicable to date. Therefore, this implies that in the film, Jarecki failed to focus on the larger society hence taking his personal approach by recounting his childhood experience(Jarecki, 2012).
Community effect analysis
Holding these opinions will be able to affect my interaction with the community in different ways. Initially, it will help me in understanding that even though there is prohibition of drug use in the society; it has failed to lower the rate at which people use illicit drugs. It further enabled me to understand that the law, which claims to preach against drug abuse, is the same law that conducts underground drug market in and out of societies thus supporting violent gangs together with organized crimes. Failure of the applicable laws to help the people in my community has forced rational people to investigate for new solutions that they can put in place to handle the matter (Gibbs &Pye, 2005).
Additionally, the opinions that I hold has helped me to analyze the issue of drug abuse in the community hence coming to conclusion that it highly relates with racial and the class of involved people. This is because according to the film, most people involved in drug abuse are the blacks together with poor people found either on the street or in prisons. Concurrently, I think that in order to handle the issue of drug trafficking in the society, it is essential to put the issue of dehumanization and devaluating of individuals into consideration. However, after focusing on the two factors, it will be easier to handle the society members since it will make them to appreciate its fairness. It also enabled me to know ways in which I can apply while communicating with the community members who are drug addicts in order to help them overcome their weaknesses (Gibbs &Pye, 2005).
References
DeForce, J. (2012). The house I live in: Sundance film review: the Hollywood reporter. Retrieved from: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/the-house-i-live-in-sundance-film-review-285210
Gibbs, J., &Pye, D. (2005).Style and meaning: Studies in the detailed analysis of film. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Jarecki, E. (2012). The house I live in. retrieved from: http://www.thehouseilivein.org/
