This February, Enzian celebrates the life and legacy of John Singleton with 35mm screenings of two of his iconic films, Poetic Justice and Boyz n the Hood.
Poetic Justice:
35mm Screening!
Justice (Janet Jackson), is a quiet, introspective young woman living in South Central Los Angeles who is struggling to cope with the murder of her boyfriend. Retreating into her writing, she channels her grief through poetry (written for the film by Maya Angelou) while working as a hairdresser.
Unable to get to Oakland to attend a convention because of her broken-down car, Justice gets a lift with Iesha (Academy-Award winner Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk), her boyfriend “Chicago” (Joe Torry) and Lucky, a brash but good-hearted postal worker—played with raw charisma and disarming empathy by hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur. What begins as a tense journey marked by clashing personalities gradually softens as Justice and Lucky open up to one another.
John Singleton’s Oscar-nominated romantic drama captures life, love, and loss in early-’90s. Best remembered for the electric chemistry between Jackson and Shakur, Poetic Justice stands as a cultural touchstone, blending spoken-word poetry and urban sensibility into a proto-typical Hollywood “road movie”.
Enzian Presents: John Singleton
This February, Enzian celebrates the life and legacy of John Singleton. Born in Los Angeles in January 1968, Singleton graduated from USC and soon transformed a traumatic episode from his youth into the groundbreaking Boyz n the Hood (1991). The film instantly marked him as a major new voice, and at just 24 he became both the youngest person and the first African American ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, along with a nomination for Best Original Screenplay—a milestone that broadened Hollywood’s sense of whose stories should be told.
He followed his debut with Poetic Justice (1993), Higher Learning (1995), and Rosewood (1997), blending rich social commentary throughout a broad range of racial, social, and historical narratives. In the 2000s, Singleton moved fluidly into studio filmmaking with hits like Shaft (2000) and 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and produced standout projects such as the Academy Award® winning film Hustle & Flow (2005).
Singleton’s legacy rests on his commitment to portraying Black life with emotional depth and celebrating underrepresented voices. He opened doors, influenced a generation of filmmakers, and left an indelible mark on modern American cinema.
1993, 109 minutes, USA, Directed by John Singleton, Rated R
“A timestamp for pop and urban culture in the ‘90s and continues to resonate with a new generation of fans more than two decades later.”
– Preezy Brown, REVOLT
“Poetic Justice turns hood love into a universal text.”
– Stephen Kearse, PITCHFORK
“Singleton passes the director's acid test: the difficult second movie.This proves he's no flash N the pan. Often graceful, sometimes brilliant, "Poetic" is an absorbing, amusing symphony of sound and image.”
– Desson Howe, THE WASHINGTON POST
“You can sense the fire of a writer and director who thinks art can help change the world.”
– Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE
