187 (a.k.a. One Eight Seven) [VHS] [1997]

I had not come across this film before then saw it on the Prime Video home page banner. The film quality from the start was poor as if filmed through a tinted brown lens and also rather dark. The sound quality in places was not very good and at times the dialogue was rather quiet so I turned up the volume only to be half deafened in the next scene by background music. I don’t know why some Amazon Prime films degrade so much over time (I have had this on a few films and series) but it makes for quite hard viewing.As for the film itself, it is not an original premise of course. Place new and passionate teacher into a multi-cultural class of social misfits then be inspired. Film producers have been making films since the 1950’s on the problem for educators trying to teach students in urban, inner city schools: ‘Blackboard Jungle’ 1955 (which also cast near adults in High School kids roles btw) starring Sidney Poitier, ‘To Sir with Love’ 1967, also starring Sidney Poitier, ‘Freedom Writers’ 2007 (Hilary Swank), ‘Lean on Me’ 1989 Morgan Freeman and probably many more that I can’t recall off hand. How the film ‘187’ stands out from the others for me is there is no uplifting, dream ending. The cost of getting students to graduation was too high, or as Rita in the film reminds us, is a ‘Pyrrhic victory’. ‘187’, (the crime of murder under Section 187 of the Californian Penal Code), is the adopted synonym for murder used widely throughout gang culture, gangsta rap and hip-hop and in the lives of Trevor Garfield and some of his students, it is the cost that proves to be too high.On a personal level, I don’t enjoy films that start off depressing and leave me feeling even more depressed. I also found the direction a bit clunky and stylised for it to be a late evening relaxing experience (and I generally do watch films ultimately to relax and enjoy - whatever the genre.). However, Samuel L Jackson is intense, broody and suitably explosive as the teacher that has lost it all, in more ways than one and is a strong lynchpin on which to hang this powerful melodrama.

This film was very watchable. Having said that, I had difficulty feeling too much sympathy for the main character, Garfield. The reason for this is that he did some very stupid / naïve things which brought even more trouble on his head.Maybe they do things differently in the US (as opposed to the UK) but no experienced teacher such as Garfield would arrange to meet a pupil at his/her own home. Irrespective of how innocent Garfield’s intentions, it leaves such a teacher open to all sorts of allegations, allegations which, in the end, helped get Garfield fired.Then there was the incident with Garfield’s precious family heirloom, his grandfather’s pocket-watch. Again, an experienced teacher would not bring to school, especially to a school like that urban L.A. school, such a treasured possession and, even worse, use it in the classroom for all the pupils to see. That was just asking for trouble, and trouble was what Garfield got.Also, after having been physically attacked at his NY school, why, then, did Garfield move to L.A. and work in a similar sort of school? Seems to me that he created an out-of-the-frying-pan-and-into-the-fire type of situation for himself. After being physically attacked in his former NY school, why not move to a location where there are less dangerous schools? Alternatively, why not get out of teaching altogether?Finally, the one character in the film that I did think showed better judgement, was Garfield’s female colleague, the computing science teacher. In the end, she had the right idea and, moreover, she acted on it. Good for her!

Great performances from Samuel Jackson, Kelly Rowan, John Heard and especially Karina Arroyave and Clifton Collins Jr., but what really hit home was the rest of the stuff - the script, screenplay, photography and direction.The atmosphere was dark and a feeling of hopelessness and despair pervaded at all levels - even down to the sets. The teacher's homes felt empty and foul - devoid of life. I think that reflected the protagonist's feelings about life in that nothing had substance any more.I was going to give it four because, like someone else said, some of Mr. Garfield's actions were not realistic. But on reflection, he was a damaged man, and like he said at the end - he was dead already, just living in some awful kind of limbo. I think he went to LA, because he had seen The Beast in NY and he knew it was going to follow him wherever he went, so he decided to go straight to its lair and confront it head on. RIP Mister G.

Garfield: hero. The blonde teacher: naive. Most students: low lifes.It's beyond st#pid to think a criminal (gangster) is someone good/cool. They're just lowlifes.I've watched this before, many years ago. Good movie but gets on my nerves, the way all those kids try so hard to be cool, to be criminals. And that blonde.. stfu, gal.

good movie , Samuel Jackson so versatile an actor. It's not easy being a teacher , & this teacher had lost his spark , written by a teacher , who had faced similar scenarios.The Soundtrack was excellent , could have just added gangsta rap ,but the producers found some brilliant tracks that made the movie. Always a good sign if it kicks in with good soundtrack you know it's worth watching. I'd watch it again for the soundtrack .Sometimes the movie can be a distraction .. 5 stars .

This may be a decent film, but the actors playing the students are in their late 20s and 30s, they look far, far too old to be high school students - I just can't watch it and find it believable. They look older than students at university... it just makes it hard to watch with any credibility and throws the film's ability to immerse you.

Essentially 'breaking bad' well before the tv series of that name. A teacher at such a point of PTSD and perhaps some level of psychosis goes to extreme lengths to teach students who have reached the point of being almost unteachable.