Directed by Sona
Reviewed by Brian Dell
“I’m sick of that fake thug RnB rap scenario, all day on the radio
Same scenes in the video, monotonous material
Y’all don’t hear me though
These record labels sling our tapes like dope
You could be next in line to sign and still be writin’ rhymes and broke
You’d rather have a Lexus or justice?
A dream or some substance?
A Beamer or necklace or freedom?”
-Dead Prez, “Hip Hop”
“Behold Something Bigger Than Tupac.”
The title of this film alone is designed to pique the curiosities of its audience. Tupac Shakur is one of the defining figures of hip hop, a symbol and a legend to some, and the film argues the shooting not only killed Tupac but the entire genre as well. What, or in this case, who, could possibly be bigger than Tupac? Sona, the director and subject of this film, gives a simple enough answer to that question: it’s him.
This is one of the gutsiest statements I’ve ever known anyone to make with a straight face, and “Behold” spends the majority of its running time convincing you that it’s true. Immediately digging into the rapper Nas, and later baring its teeth at Sean “Puffy” Combs and others, the recurring message of the film is that hip hop used to be a meaningful, rich form of expression, but now, thanks to record labels eager to mass-produce the same indulgent stereotypes, hip hop has been diluted to watered-down immoral trash. Sona rejects all the entrenched ideas of degradation and consumerism, making a good case against the rappers who carelessly flaunt diamonds as bling in their videos, while others are fighting and dying to procure these flashy status symbols.
Easily, the highlight of the film is Sona’s relentless criticism of the low cultural standards to which we hold ourselves. He has an uncommonly forceful personality and seems fearless towards any doubt or threat which might come his way. Certain montages are skillfully edited, the voice overs sound clear and strong, and much of the original footage was shot in high-definition which is a cut above what most local filmmakers are capable or interested in achieving. These scenes look very detailed and improve the presentation considerably.
However, “Behold” is not without its flaws. While the voice overs are solid, the sound in most of the interviews is at best hard to hear, and at other times it is closer to impossible to understand. Another major issue comes from the repetition and length of the film- there are numerous times when shots from one part of the movie will be replayed exactly the same later on, or arguments will be repeated too often, making the feature-length running time seem perhaps twice as long as it needs to be. The film would also have benefited from more “natural” footage of Sona, showing him performing, in studio, or in everyday life. While viewers will come away with a clear knowledge of Sona’s views, they will have a hard time identifying his music or who he is outside of his “Voice” persona.
“Behold Something Bigger Than Tupac” is an interesting message film and a study on the cult of personality. This is the area where it achieves considerable success. Sona “The Voice” is a lot bolder than most Wisconsin filmmakers and his confidence really counts for something in that community. At the same time “Behold” leaves room for improvement with the next effort from this production team, who likely will be able to hone their efficiency and style on more polished future films. As long those projects have the sincerity and risky ideas that this one does, they’ll find an audience without any trouble at all.
