Set it Off is a crime film directed by F. Gary Gray and follows four young women who due to unjust circumstances, resort to robbing banks. It carries a common theme with the film Devil in a Blue Dress because just like Easy, the women were in financial strains that essentially coerced them into crime. The film does a great job at creating characters motives and paces you along into seeing the straws the breaks the camel’s back for all the women. Frankie being unfairly fired from her job is presented first, which coincides with her being the first ones to jump on board for robbing the bank and being the main driving force behind the plan. Stoney’s desperately wants a life outside of poverty and her younger brother being gunned down by the police solidifies her stance robbing the bank because she has nothing else to lose. T.T is the most reluctant one of the group and also has the most heartbreaking fate because at the end of it all, she just wanted to take care of her son. Her inability to pay for childcare forced her to bring her son to her job, where he gets injured, and then taken away by CPS. This ties back into the theme of poverty breeding crime because despite her hesitancy, she felt like it was the only option of the sake of her son. I think Cleo was interesting because her lack of having a specific motivation contrast with the other characters. She understands that she’ll never leave the hood and has no big aspirations, so I interpret her willingness to rob banks as a solution to make her life a little more bearable and helping her friends live better lives as well. The film has clear-cut characterization that help emotionally tie the audience down to the women along with focusing on the intersections of poverty, blackness, and womanhood, which just isn’t commonly found in films.
Well said. I'm glad it resonates with you.