This is one film that needs to be seen,because if you don't stand up and cheer here,you ain't got nothing to cheer about.........
"The Education Of Sonny Carson" is such a moving film that brilliantly portrays the struggles and survival of ghetto life in 1950's Brooklyn,based on the best-selling autobiography by Sonny Carson,this is one of those films that is rarely forgotten,but it is still a visually stunning piece of film-making from the golden age of 1970's Black Cinema,directed by Micheal Campus. Produced by Irwin Yablans and released thru Paramount Pictures in 1974,this film hasn't been seen in decades,until now with the magic of video and DVD,the film has been restored to its glory and its a tale worth telling about one man's quest to survive in an ghetto infested area and eventually comes out a winner. But still this is a gangster's tale here with some hard edged hitting drama to boot with a performance that is played with absolute conviction by Rony Clanton. Clanton portrays Sonny Carson,a street-smart,bright,highly intelligent young man who gets sucked into gang turf warfare that ends up getting him arrested and eventually ends up in the slammer.
There are some excellent supporting performances here including Joyce Walker who plays Sonny's girlfriend Virginia,whose addiction to heroin and other drugs turns his life around. Also look out for others including Paul Benjamin and Mary Alice,who plays Sonny's parents,and B.T. Taylor as one of the fellow gang members of "The Lords",Crazy. Filmed on location in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn,with additional footage is excellent,especially the battle scenes between the Lords and the Hawks anticipates some of the most violent footage ever depicted on film(the similar scenes would be depicted in Walter Hill's urban drama,"The Warriors"[1979]),and its still shocking to see some 30 years after this film's release. This film was released in 1974. "The Education Of Sonny Carson",also goes through an realistic approach to the similar tales of crime and redemption as we take a look at the harsh realities of life and survival in the streets of Brooklyn. We also see how a young man,who has a bright future ahead of him,get sucked into a life of crime and poverty and goes through a redemption of himself and changes his ways. If you look at it,it does bear a verite approach to several Black films of the 1970's,but it is infinitely superior. This is worth seeing at its finest and it is a classic within itself. However,the original Sonny Carson is no longer with us. He passed away as of last year. His story is an monument for all to witness because it is visually stunning because its drips the true with such strong emotion that it can convey so much towards you.
R.I.P Sonny Carson-We Miss You.
