By Sofia Huertas
HBO’s feature film Walkout, starring Alexa Vega as Paula Crisostomo and Michael Pe?a as Sal Castro, illustrates a true life, coming of age story. HBO, along with the School of Communication, featured the upcoming film, produced by Edward James Olmos, in the Student Center Theater last Tuesday. The feature drama portrays the true story of Mexican-American students who orchestrated a dominant 1968 walkout to protest the inequality of the public high-school system in East Los Angeles.
Paula, a bright, motivated, high school senior is inspired to take action against the inequality of education after attending a Chicano Youth Conference in Malibu. She encounters dozens of other Chicano youth and they collectively learn of their common history of struggle and what it means to be Chicano. After being threatened with expulsion, her she persevers and fights the Los Angeles School District. Vega unravels Paula’s ambition for change and leadership standing up during lunch and convincing her classmates to fill out a survey to make changes in their school.
Playing the role of Paula’s high school teacher is Pe?a, who devotes his career to educating them of their history and heritage, as well as teaching them to believe in their own potential.
The introductory scene, filmed in black and white, characterizes the brutality the students faced after attempting to peacefully protest inefficient school conditions.
Black and white turns to color as she arrives to an empty corridor, only to enter and walk up the stairs to envision, what was soon to be, the rage of students walking out of their classrooms, getting beaten by merciless police officials.
Perhaps the most intriguing scene is the first walkout performed by the three East L.A. schools. After the first morning bell rings to begin class, Paula and others rise from their seats and yell “Walkout!” As they run through hallways, banging on classroom doors, they led hundreds of Chicano students to calmly flee the facilities yelling the single word that would change their lives.
Olmos successfully duplicates actual events that took place in the walkout of 1968 in regards to police brutality. What seemed to be a tiny moment in history was in actuality a pivotal point in the history of Mexican-Americans and the school system. Olmos’ careful and accurate production successfully evoked an impression on the University crowd during and after the feature.
As the applause arose while the credits scrolled on the screen, some students reached for their sleeve to wipe the tears from their eyes.