Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy tells a profoundly important story which may seem familiar. Other films have delved into America’s 80s drug epidemic as part of wider examinations of inequality and racism throughout US history (Ava DuVernay’s 13th being a recent and successful example). But as Crack’s name suggests, it focuses almost entirely on the impact the drug had on society and minority communities in particular.
Director Stanley Nelson takes us back to the early 1980s with the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan and the subsequent rise of yuppie culture. Oft-used archive footage abound, the film’s opening sequence sets the scene to great effect. As money poured in, so did drugs. And one drug in particular was the substance of choice among the young, wealthy, and ambitious – cocaine. Those who lived the lifestyle tell us about the proliferation of its use and undeniable status as a symbol of glamour and success. As Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy drives this point home, it instils a grim sense that something went terribly wrong underneath the glitz.
While things were on the up for the rich and a culture of optimism swept capitalist America, predominantly black neighbourhoods bore the brunt of reduced social programs and job losses. Increased poverty soon followed, and the young turned to alternative methods of making money to survive. Enter crack. As powder cocaine came with a ‘luxury’ price tag, it was inaccessible to poorer people. Cocaine’s overwhelming euphoria was widely known, and crack provided the desired high for less cash – this made it immediately popular.
Known as ‘freebase’, crack removes the hydrochloride (or ‘salt’) part of cocaine to make it smokable. It’s also more efficient than its dust counterpart in providing a potent high, hitting the bloodstream in an instant after it’s ingested. Combining this with the dire social implications of 80’s politics and economics created a gold rush of sorts, which brought entire communities to their knees and turned ordinary young people into violent drug kingpins.
While the film clearly illustrates crack’s seemingly overnight effect on inner city neighbourhoods, it pays equal attention to the corruption behind it all. From bribe-taking police to shady political dealings, it’s apparent just how deep the rot ran. It’s obvious now that condescending and woefully simplistic campaigns such as Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” initiative weren’t only insufficient but entirely hypocritical. As the US government sought to counter the spread of communism in South America, they engaged in illegal arms sales to Iran and planned to use the proceeds to fund Contras – US-backed counter-revolutionaries in Nicaragua opposed to the Marxist Sandinista government. The Contras were trafficking cocaine into the United States, in part to fund activities in their home country. It’s alleged the Reagan administration turned a blind eye to this. Of course, the influx of cocaine into America helped contribute to the crack epidemic.
This may seem conspiratorial at first but is supported by well-documented historical evidence. Crack provides enough information about the Iran-Contra affair to separate it from any comparison to tin-foil-hat-wearing nonsense.
From there, the film moves to examine the wider implications of the War on Drugs including the militarisation of police and harsher prison sentences for drug offences. While these details are no less important than anything else touched on in the documentary, they have been extensively covered elsewhere and this sequence doesn’t have anything new to share. It’s mostly a retread of information delivered more effectively in other books, movies, and TV shows.
With that being said, Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy delivers its key points well and with enough emotion to ensure they stick in your mind. While some of its testimonials could be considered subjective, it’s difficult to counter the lived experiences of whole communities. The individuals featured in the film were deeply involved in this world and experienced the crime, corruption, brutality, and social degradation first-hand. That much is indisputable.
Ultimately, this is a film about the sheer misery inflicted upon an entire people because of the routine failures and wilful negligence of a government. Its heart-breaking stories of those who lost everything cut deep, and that’s what matters most. There’s no beating around the bush here, and Crack’s short runtime guarantees that. However, if you come into this expecting a comprehensive discussion about an extremely complicated subject, you’re likely to be disappointed. It’s a thought-provoking introduction to an essential piece of history, but that’s all it really is.
Final score: 7.5/10
Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy is now streaming on Netflix.
Have you seen Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy? What documentaries have you been watching to kick off the New Year? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to take a look at our other reviews…
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Featured Image Credit: Netflix
