Tupac: Resurrection Brings Rapper Back to Life

Tupac: Resurrection opens to a panoramic view of the Las Vegas skyline and then focuses on the intersection that was the sight of Tupac Shakur's horrific 1996 murder. The slain rap star then speaks eerily to the audience from beyond the grave as sun-touched clouds pass over the screen - "I always knew I was gonna be shot."

The first spoken words of the new documentary from director Lauren Lazin introduce Shakur as both the protagonist and narrator of the film. Shakur is obviously referring not to the gunshots that ended his life but instead to an earlier incident in which he was shot five times in 1994 and survived. Despite the early reference to Shakur's death, unlike Nick Broomfield's 2002 Biggie and Tupac, "Resurrection" doesn't deal with the rapper's still unsolved murder. Instead Lazin chooses to focus on Shakur's life, from his childhood in New York and Baltimore to his meteoric rise to fame.

Shakur's narration of the "Resurrection" is the film's most intriguing aspect. His words, taken from previous interviews, give it a distinctly personal feel. Shakur's habit of speaking in the past tense about his life and describing events philosophically convey the feeling that an ephemeral Tupac is doing the talking. "In my life, I was different things to different people," Shakur says, in an insightful moment.

While, the movie does not paint a picture of Shakur as a saint, the audience is given a look at the artist's life from his own perspective, thereby limiting the ability to voice many controversial opinions regarding the rapper. With Afeni Shakur, the artist's mother, serving as an executive producer on the film, it seems unlikely that the director would be given too much artistic license. Afeni, who was a high ranking member of the Black Panthers, was the most important person in Shakur's life. She plays a large role in the film, despite appearing only in photographs and letters she wrote to her son.

Resurrection does a good job revealing previously unexplored sides of Shakur. The portrait of an adolescent Tupac is not one of the self-proclaimed thug that he would become, but instead of a thoughtful boy who wrote poetry and attended a prestigious performing arts high school in Baltimore along with other to-be-discovered stars (there is a clip of Shakur and classmate Jada Pinkett performing Will Smith's early 90's hit "Parent's Just Don't Understand"). At the school Tupac first found his flair for performing and was influenced by such widely varied sources as Shakespeare, Frank Sinatra, and folk icon Don McLean. There is also footage of Shakur seriously and gracefully practicing ballet.

The film effectively depicts challenge presented by the young artist's sudden rise. In an excerpt from one interview, Shakur talks about the pressures placed on him following the release of his critically acclaimed debut album, "2Pacalypse Now," in 1991. He was only 20 years old when he made the highly socially conscious record.

"I had millions of people making me the leader of their movement and waiting for me to tell them what to do -- I'm going to have problems handling that," he said.

The film doesn't gloss over the uglier aspects of Shakur's life, particularly his criminal record, but rather explains the incidents through the voice of the artist. "I never had a record until I had a record," Tupac says, referring to his first charge in 1991, for resisting arrest. Resurrection also documents his conviction for sexual abuse and subsequent 8-month stay in prison.

In dealing with Tupac's indiscretions, the film gives the impression that he was at times overwhelmed with fame. The transformation from social activist to violent gangsta is featured. However, in interviews it seems that Shakur's later Death Row Records persona was as much a calculated role as the critically acclaimed characters that he played in "Juice" and "Poetic Justice."

Throughout the film, Shakur upholds his magnetism and remains the star. His charisma and exuberance engage the audience to the very end. The film offers entertainment to Tupac fans as well as those unfamiliar with his life and work.

Tupac: Resurrection is constantly in danger of presenting a biased and not well-rounded picture of the rapper, but the film succeeds in the goal described by the title. However briefly, it brings Tupac back to life.