Remembering 1995’s Dead Presidents: The most underrated crime film

Dead Presidents features excellent character development

Anthony, the protagonist in 1995’s Dead Presidents, begins the movie as a high school senior who is unsure about his next move in life. Growing up in a middle class family in The Bronx, most of his friends have decided to enroll in community college. The year is 1969 and the eyes of the world are on the conflict in Vietnam. While some of his friends view college admissions as a way to avoid the draft, Anthony views military service as a way to “do something different,” and avoid the traditional route that his college-educated older brother has taken.

Surprisingly, Anthony’s good friend Skip decides he is tired of school and opts for military service right alongside him. They end up in the same marine core unit and experience the horrors of war together. The film does a great job of depicting the transformation that Anthony and Skip undergo while they are away at war.

Anthony transitions from an optimistic teenager to a pessimistic adult who is as unsure about his future as he was when he was in school. Meanwhile, Skip remains a loose cannon, just like he was in high school; only now he has picked up the unfortunate habit of heroin addiction. Kirby, the local numbers hustler, has been forced to shut down his operations due to having to skim too much off the top for members of law enforcement who were on the payroll. With his illegal business in shambles, he has turned to liquor as a consolation and is on the danger of becoming an alcoholic.

All of these characters are developed thoroughly enough for the audience to identify with their struggles and their humanity. Although each of them has their flaws, their good nature manages to shine through in spite of all the turmoil that surrounds them