Fifteen year old Duke wants to acquire a ‘piece’ so he can gain the respect and following of his gang in the African-American ghettos of Harlem.
Director Clarke, one of the founding members of New American Cinema (and a contemporary of John Cassavetes,) combines Duke’s story with documentary footage and a fine jazz sound-track to create a powerful, ground-breaking portrait of life in America’s urban slums.
The Cool World
Directed by Shirley Clarke