Intermission: Eminem continues following footsteps of Elvis

Jim Wunderle is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.

Not many pop music stars of late have stirred up more controversy than Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem. His gay-bashing, misogynistic lyrics and downright nasty attitude have done much to garner the young Detroit native more than his share of negative publicity. As some old publicist said, there really is no such thing as "bad" press. It seems to be true in Eminem's case: His records sell in the multi-millions.

Much, too, has been made by media mavens on opposite sides about the similarities between Eminem and the other "E" man, the now venerable Elvis Presley. There's a lot to be said on the subject. Both men took what was essentially a black musical form and gave it a white face. Presley wasn't the only one to do this in early rock and roll. I'm still amazed that Pat Boone's version of "Tutti Frutti" actually outsold Little Richard's classic.

The naysayers point out that Presley never sang about his hatred of gays or wanting to kill the mother of his baby. True, but those of us old enough to remember the early days will remember that the man who would become "The King" was vilified early in his career for his outrageous sexual gyrations and essentially for making "race" music available to white suburban teens. He was as shocking as Eminem (or even Marilyn Manson) at that time in pop culture history.

So, the debate will rage on. While I don't agree with his violent tendencies or his homophobia (if it is indeed real), the guy is a great rap artist. That might be an oxymoron to some, but like it or not, rap is a viable form of music, and it's here to stay.

So, with all the Elvis comparisons, it was inevitable that Eminem would venture into film. While essentially playing a version of himself, as Presley did in many of his movies, Eminem has something going for him that usually eluded Elvis: A world-class director.

Curtis Hanson, the man behind "L.A. Confidential" and "Wonder Boys," obviously had the rapper in mind for the role when he attached himself to the project which was written by Scott Silver. Hanson, like most great directors, has the ability to see an actor's strengths and use them wisely. To his credit, Eminem rises to the occasion and does not disappoint. While his range as an actor is fairly limited, in "8 Mile" his performance is never false. Besides the Presley comparison (face it, Elvis was never a great actor) I can see bits of James Dean in his classic teen angst film, "Rebel Without a Cause."

Eminem plays Jimmy Smith Jr., who goes by the nickname "Rabbit." Rabbit works in a Detroit plant, has a foreman who doesn't like him, a pregnant ex-girlfriend and a mom who's dating a dude Rabbit went to high school with.

Rabbit carries his clothes around in a garbage bag and, when not working, hangs out with a group of young black men who dream of becoming rap stars. One of the guys always has big plans for Rabbit and gets him involved in a lot of things that usually wind up just making him even more sullen and sulking.

A rival group of rappers makes a laughingstock out of Rabbit when he apparently freezes up at a "showdown." This is where rappers face off and have 45 seconds of a drum groove to rap over and slander their opponent in the most inventive way possible. The freeze comes early in the film and the rest of the plot, as you might guess, is mostly concerned with bringing about the inevitable rematch which serves as the climax.

Rodrigo Prieto's gritty cinematography serves the film perfectly. From the dreary atmosphere of the auto parts plant to the street scenes of Detroit at night to the sweaty crowded ambience of The Paradise Club, Prieto's camera work is nearly a character in and of itself.

The supporting cast is good, especially Mekhi Phifer as Future, Rabbit's would-be manager, and Kim Basinger as his damaged-goods mom. Her natural Texas accent is a nice touch, as well. One can imagine the character moved from the South to look for a job in Detroit's auto industry and fell into the cycle of poverty that is a fact of life in large manufacturing centers.

There's a lot of rough language in the film, as one could imagine based upon the subject matter, but no objectionable violence or sex, although the subject of sex is certainly touched upon in a number of key scenes, and the threat of violence is always in the air.