A dramatization of Eminem’s early days in Detroit, 8 Mile doesn’t justify the hateful violence in the rapper’s lyrics, but its depiction of his bleak background helps you understand where that rage comes from. As an impoverished factory worker struggling to make a name for himself in the hip-hop scene, Eminem doesn’t rap so much as spew – a mic is his only outlet. If 8 Mile isn’t quite the rapper’s redemption, it is certainly a revelation.
