It's been over 20-years and Set It Off remains a definitive movie for Black actresses. Directed by F. Gary Gray, the 1996 film is about four women who decide to rob a bank due to their financial hardships. This feature is also a benchmark in the careers of Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, Queen Latifah, and Kimberly Elise. This isn't to say that these women haven't gone on to star in bigger and better projects. The 1996 film, though, helped skyrocket their careers. It was such a defining drama that allowed these actresses to showcase each their of ranges by playing archetypes that had up to this point mainly been played by men. Usually, a Black actress was set in the role of the protagonist's love interest. Now, that's not to say that diverse female roles for Black actresses didn't exist before 1996, as movies like The Color Purple, Crooklyn, or even Sister Act explored female characters with range.

However, how often do you see hood movies where the struggles of women are documented? That point of view has historically been predominantly presented through the eyes of a Black man trying to survive his crime riddled neighborhood. The beauty of Set It Off is that the focus remains realistic; Stony (Jada Pinkett Smith) is trying to do the best she can to get Stevie (Chaz Lamar Shepherd) out of the ghetto, which is why her having sex with Nate (Charlie Robinson) is so gut-wrenching. She doesn't want to do it, but that's the sacrifice she's willing to make just so Stevie has a better future than her. Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) is a wise soul unfortunately caught between two worlds. The bankers firing Frankie are justified. And yet, they're not just one-dimensional racists. By having Frankie failing to forget the procedure for a bank robbery, it creates more layers surrounding her character. Fox is incredible during the opening scene, struggling to understand the situation in front of her. Frankie's life is in danger, but at the hands of a trusted ally who had no qualms about putting a gun to her face. Had the bank robber been an unknown face, Frankie would've surely remembered the procedure, but adding that small layer of complexity gives more depth to her character, and a stronger justification as to why she's been fired.

set it off
Image via New Line Cinema

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Cleo's (Queen Latifah) role is the most dynamic out of all the women. She's a gangster and lesbian. What's great about the latter is that her journey feels organic and real. Of course, it helps that Queen Lafitah's performance is superb, but there's never that struggle moment of her having a hard time dealing with her sexuality. Before 1996, when was the last Black film that you've seen where the male protagonist is both gay and a gangster? It showcased a different side of the world and allowed an LGBTQ+ character to shine without the familiar tropes that weren't seen in films prior to Set It Off. Tisean (Kimberly Elise) is a hard-working mother just trying to make ends meet for her and her son. She's shy and a bit of a push-over, but the motivation of getting her son back allows audiences to understand why she's a part of this risky operation.

F. Gary Gray, and writers Takashi Bufford and Kate Lanier wisely don't pile on the sympathy to justify why they opt to rob a bank. They're poor women longing for a better life, but even so, committing a serious crime that could end in tragedy is never the solution. Hell, that notion is showcased in the first five minutes when a customer's head is blown off right in front of Frankie. These women are portrayed as strong, but don't have plot armor when it comes to stakes. Because Stony, Cleo, Frankie, and Tisean are always in danger, it allows these actresses to showcase different emotions during high intensity situations. Anger, sadness, pain, and frustration are all displayed by each character to varying degrees. From Frankie seeing Stevie's dead body on the ground to Tisean shooting Luther (Thomas Jefferson Byrd), or even losing her son. Even the joyous moments of Stony, Cleo, Frankie, and Tisean smoking weed on the roof or getting $200,000 following the huge bank heist resonate strongly. These characters have to deal with the ups and downs of their situations, creating a story that feels raw and bold.

Tisean, who had the most sympathetic story out of the three women, dies first. That means her son will likely grow up without a mother and father (since one isn't in the film) in his life. Cleo gets the Alonzo Harris treatment and the film doesn't hold back in the way she dies. Perhaps the weakest moment is Frankie's death; she's usually portrayed as the smarter one in the film, so for her to simply put a gun to Detective Strode's (John C. McGinley) head and run away was simply stupid. Perhaps Frankie knows that she is dead either way and her ego refuses to let her simply give up. Even so, her death fell flat compared to the others. Stony is able to escape with the money, but at what cost? All of her friends are dead, and she can't even be with Keith (Blair Underwood) anymore. Set It off pulls no punches on showing how Black women also struggle in poverty. It helped showcase that life isn't easy if you're a Black woman who has to survive on her own. Notice that Frankie, Stony, and Tisean don't have a father to properly guide them or a boyfriend/husband to do all their dirty work in order to protect and provide. This isn't saying that women need men in order to survive, but that the film's purpose is to highlight Black men aren't the only ones who suffer in America's ghettos. The 1996 film set a benchmark for Black actresses that allowed them to showcase their incredible ranges and emphasized that women of color can play any role if given the chance to do so.