O2’s got questions, and is only partially satisfied by the answers, that Junior defended himself against a bully at school and “kicked his ass.” Dad smiles, proud, then frowns, worried. As soon as he spots the scrape on Junior’s face. The dilemma set up for O2 is simple in the extreme: almost as soon as he picks up his beautiful boy from school, with apologies for being late gift in hand (a Buffalo Soldier on a horse, to add to Junior’s toy horse collection, meaning, “daddy cares” as well as “daddy’s politically aware”). In this case, that action is especially boomy and bloody, as well as acrobatically filmed, but the idea is the same as in the olden days: the entertainment makes the point more palatable. Following the model of old school B-movies, the inscrutably titled Waist Deep makes its socio-political points under guise of big, simple-seeming action. The demonstrations show up, at first, on one of many monitors watched by department store security guard Otis, also known as O2 (Tyrese Gibson), so named because back in the day, he used to “set it off” and then “vanish like air.” Currently, he’s less mobile, a single father just out of prison, determined to set a good example for his young son Otis Junior (H.
The city of Los Angeles, including the name-checked Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, has let them down, and they’re demanding redress - education, security, freedom from everyday terrors. “Save our streets! Save our streets!” So pronounce the earnest demonstrators who appear at the start of Waist Deep, their placards raised high, their faces showing frustration. –Michael Eric Dyson, Come Hell or High Water We must embrace the sometimes painful but ultimately healing remembrance that makes us human and wise. And it protects us from Aframesia, a paralyzing form of black forgetfulness of our beleaguered brothers and sisters. Memory warfare pits us against the forces of cultural, racial, and class amnesia.
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