For those who think break dancing peaked in 1984 with the release of Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, Benson Lee’s new documentary Planet B-Boy will be a revelation. Not only is break dancing alive and well, it’s gone international. And the center of it all is an unlikely place: Braunschweig, Germany, where every year crews from all over the world descend for the “Battle of the Year” showdown, the Olympics of break dancing.
Lee’s film focuses on five crews — American, French, Japanese and two from South Korea — from the initial elimination rounds in their respective countries to the final competition.
The film opens with a brief history lesson about the origins of break dancing and how it was inspired by everything from James Brown to martial arts movies. There isn’t enough information here for those not familiar with this movement to gain any real insight, but that’s a wise decision on the part of the director; hundreds of books, films and Web sites on the subject are readily accessible. Lee’s more interested in presenting the young b-boys, who have chosen to devote themselves to something as rigorous and difficult as ballet, tap or any of the more established dance forms.
And he’s chosen his subjects well. There’s the American crew from Las Vegas that is determined to prove that the country where hip-hop originated can still be a player; the Caucasian French boy who dances despite the objections of his racist mother; and the Korean who wants to do nothing more than make his father proud.
Those stories may sound like well-worn cliches, and at times, Lee’s hand in milking the emotion is undeniable, but the characters are so likeable that it never comes across as manipulative. These kids defy the stereotype of hip-hop as a hedonistic lifestyle defined by the pursuit of the “Benjamins”; most are poor outcasts who see dancing as their way to a better life. They’re passionate, determined, and work with a focused discipline and ethic that would put most to shame.
But the dancing is what really gives Lee’s film its energy. These are the best b-boys in the world, and the dance sequences are explosive. Lee also stages several effective numbers that perfectly capture the identity of the participants. From the rival Korean soldiers going at it across the North-South Korean border to the French crew doing their thing in front of the Eiffel Tower, these sequences are beautifully shot with the spirit of an old MGM musical infused with a raw hip-hop sensibility.
Planet B-Boy also works on another level. Of the four crews who make it to the final round, three are Asian. Watching a film that subtly argues that the best b-boys in the world are Asian and realizing just how much hip-hop has permeated Asian culture is very inspiring. If you don’t feel moved by the film’s outcome, hell, if you don’t stand up and cheer, revoke your Asian identity immediately.
Some of the finest of our American documentary filmmakers are of Asian descent: Christine Choy, Renee Tajima-Pena, Freida Lee Mock, Steven Okazaki, Jessica Yu, Jessica Sanders, to name but a few. Now add Benson Lee to that list. There hasn’t been a feature this dynamic from a young Asian American filmmaker since Better Luck Tomorrow.
Planet B-Boy opens March 28 in San Francisco, Berkeley, San Diego and Washington. For additional cities and more
information: planetbboy.com.
Philip W. Chung is a writer and co-artistic director of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble. Lodestone’s next production of Nic Cha Kim’s Trapezoid opens on April 19 in L.A. For more information: lodestonetheatre.org.