Analysis Of The Fresh Movie
Criminal Justice Theories In Fresh
The movie fresh is about a twelve-year old boy named Fresh who is very intelligent and quiet. He tries to survive in Brooklyn by doing errands for a dealer of drugs. The dealers trust him because he is very kind and honest. He must use these jobs to support himself, which shows to be tricky in some ways. He also is supporting his sister who has many troubles of her own. Some of these include living with the dealer and constantly doing drugs.
He lives with his aunt and eleven other children because his father is an alcoholic and offers him no support. He is helpless against all the dangers that are common in the streets. One can easily say he had a difficult environment to live in because of all the family problems that reoccur throughout the film along with all the problems in the street. There are several theories that can be applied to this film. The ones I will be discussing are rational choice theory and the development theory, both of which were discussed in class.
Firstly, the rational choice theory, which is a theory crafted by Beccaria very relevant to this film. The rational choice theory posits that people have the choice to either engage in something or not, it is on their own will and no one’s fault. I feel this is very relatable to Fresh because he had the choice to engage in these risky behaviors or not. Although many may argue that he had to do what he had to do, because of his situation, but according to this theory, no one is to blame but himself. Generally, a person will weigh the benefits and negative aspects of something before deciding to engage in it or not. Fresh knew that doing these errands could be dangerous, but he thought it was worth the reward. The reward is that he is able to support himself and family.
I think this theory is very important when trying to figure out why a person does what they do. When it comes down to it many components can add to this, but when we rationally think about it, in the end it truly is our choice. I understand that fresh, like many other individuals do what they do in for survival. Although, many times, other safer methods could be used to help on survive. There is never just one way.
The next theory is the developmental theory, this theory states that a person’s upbringing and development are very important to explain their actions. In this film, Fresh had a somewhat difficult life. His parents weren’t around and lived with many others. He was so smart and could have been so much better off if he had support from his family. Also seeing his father being drunk and sister on drugs did not help the situation. Because he had it difficult, it was easier for him to engage in risky behaviors. If he had a structured and overlooked life, he most certainly would not be able to do these things.
Both of these theories are applicable to Fresh’s story. I feel that these theories can be utilized to explain several different cases. It helps give one a better view of behaviors and the person’s environment. Fresh appeared to be smart in several different ways and people really liked him. He was generous and kind to family and friends. Given the proper situation and education, Fresh most likely would have went on to do great things. I enjoyed watching this film because it was very exciting and kept you entertained. Relating class information to films, helps students gain a better understanding for what they are learning.
