nate filmmaking today. The differences between the two films are important to note first. Murder in the First is a picture largely about white characters, and Higher Learning is a picture largely about black characters. The director of the first is white, and the director of the second is black. Murder in the First takes place in the 1930s, while Higher Learning is a contemporary drama. Both deal with criticisms of societal institutions, the first of the prison and court system, the second of the educational system. Both also affirm something about these respective institutions--the lawyer in Murder in the First is able to bring forth an indictment of the system, and director John Singleton is able to point to what education and race relations should be. In terms of reflecting contemporary styles, of course, Murder in the First seems less inclined to do so than does Higher Learning, and this can be seen clearly in terms of the music. Murder in the First is
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