The Hughes brothers are cinematic giants that even the most well-versed cinephiles don’t seem to acknowledge. Yet, despite their relative under-the-radar status, their releases — such as 1993’s Menace II Society and 2010’s Book of Eli — have made indelible marks in the fields of cinematography and have helped staple the Hughes brothers’ as unique and even visionary auteurs in their own right. But their names weren’t always etched in the annals of film history.
Actually, their beginnings were rather humble. Born on April 1, 1972, in Detroit, Michigan, the Hughes brothers — Allen Hughes and Albert Hughes — came into the world from a unique blend of African American and Armenian American heritage. Their father, Albert Hughes, hailed from an African American background, while their mother, Aida, was an Iranian Armenian from Tehran. However, Albert and Aida divorced when the boys were just two years old, so the brothers moved with their mother to Claremont, California.
Aida raised the boys alone while also educating herself and starting and running her own business. Since the brothers showed a strong interest in movies and filmmaking, she bought them a video camera when they were twelve years old. This proved to be a pivotal moment in their lives since the brothers spent their free time creating short films for fun. At the suggestion of their teacher, the boys had to make a “How To” film for their assignment, so the Hughes brothers compiled a short film called “How to Be a Burglar” as their first “official” cinematic endeavor.
The real work came somewhat later, after Allen’s son was born (Allen was 18 at the time). The brothers dropped out of high school and began filming music videos and directing for artists like Tupac Shakur and Tone Loc. The music industry provided the Hughes brothers with enough challenge to help them hone their already sharp filmmaking skills, leading up to their first movie, Menace II Society, which was released in 1993, becoming a massive hit and one of their best known movies.
Menace II Society premiered at the 46th Cannes Film Festival with a narrative that centers on Kaydee “Caine” Lawson struggling to stay afloat while avoiding the criminal pitfalls present in a 1990s Watts/Crenshaw district. It was made on a shoestring budget of a mere $3.5 million. It went on to become a critical and commercial success while also receiving a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.
However, the film wasn’t without its controversies. In 1994, they took Tupac Shakur to court after he assaulted them during a music video shoot. Apparently, Tupac was originally slated to star in Menace II Society, but he didn’t like the role the Hughes brothers wrote for him. He was later sentenced to 15 days in jail for the assault. The film’s raw authenticity catapulted the Hughes brothers into the spotlight, and they became the first sibling duo since David and Jerry Zucker to receive co-director credit from the Directors Guild of America.
In 1995, the Hughes brothers directed their sophomore effort, 1995’s Dead Presidentswhich dealt with the lives of Black war veterans during the racially charged Vietnam War era. Admittedly, the movie didn’t replicate the success of their cinematic debut, but it did showcase Allen and Albert’s ability to tackle more complex narratives. It also “solidified” their filmmaking style, comprised of visceral storytelling, plenty of violence, and plenty of emotional intensity.
Following the release of Dead Presidents, the Hughes brothers also released American Pimp, an unflinching 1999 feature-length documentary that offered insight into the culture of pimps and the codes and unspoken laws of “knocking” or “procuring” female prostitutes in America. It’s a really interesting piece that baits the viewers into sometimes uncomfortable ruminations about the role that social and economic class play in the street trade.
Admittedly, the movie had its fair share of criticism for the perceived “glorification” of this profession. But the Hughes brothers also made sure to show the less appealing and downright ugly aspects of the world’s oldest professions and those involved. Their next project wouldn’t be released until after 2001; in the meantime, the Hughes brothers filmed several anti-handgun public service announcements but refused several offers to do anti-marijuana commercials.
2001 saw the release of From Hell — an adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel of the same name about the Jack the Ripper murders in Victorian England — which was a departure from their previously established cinematography. However, From Hell is notable for two reasons. The first is that the film had to be altered to avoid an NC-17 rating due to the excessive violence and the gore it translated to screen straight from the source material.
The second was the first perceived disagreement between the twins regarding the direction of the film. Previously, the brothers’ direction was always coherent amongst each other; Allen would typically work with the actors while Albert handled the technical aspects of their films. Apart from that, they always seemed to agree about the film’s direction.
But From Hell stands out, as the film’s stars later revealed, in that the amount of violence shown was a point of contention between the Hughes brothers; one brother wanted to show the brutality of the Whitechapel murders, while the other believed that the implied violence would suffice. Ultimately, the movie would become a moderate success. The Hughes brothers decided to pursue solo projects, with Allen directing a segment of New York, I Love You, and 2013’s Broken City. Albert, on the other hand, went on to direct 2018’s Alpha, his first solo feature film, which became a massive success.
Thus far we have failed to mention one of the Hughes brothers’ best films (besides Menace II Society, of course), and that’s 2010’s Book of Eli. Set in a futuristic wasteland and starring Denzel Washington as Eli, a blind nomadic warrior traveling across the United States, The Book of Eli was somewhat of a dud among critics but audiences seemed to embrace the film and its message. Despite a mixed reception by many critics, The Book of Eli, along with their other releases, solidified the Hughes brothers’ legacy, showcasing their ability to tackle morally ambiguous and ethical themes through authentic storytelling, complemented with plenty of social commentary.
So, while casual moviegoers may not know who they are and, as we already stated, even well-versed cinephiles may struggle with their name placement, the directorial duo remains one of the movie industry’s giants. Their legacy is now a testament to the power of raw and unapologetic storytelling; a hallmark that distinguishes their movies.