On Precious:
If Crash is the Do the Right Thing of my generation, that makes Precious the The Color Purple of my generation. Precious gives us the same character of Celie from The Color Purple. She is a poor, ugly, black woman, but she is resilient. All of her life has been oppressive, but this movie is the story of her redemption. Precious finally breaks through in this movie. The similarities between Precious and Celie are blatantly obvious. Both are mothers to their father's children, both have been separated from their children and both live in a prison of a home. Another distinct similarity is a prettier, black woman helps both of them break away.
The main difference between the two stories is the setting. The Color Purple takes place about a hundred years ago and a few hundred miles away from Harlem. Precious shows that this story is still going on. It paint a picture of the same tragedies that Celie endures in The Color Purple, but in the viewer's backyard. That is part of the reason that the movie hits so hard, it shows the viewer that this is still happening today and it is happening in New York. The other reason that this movie hits so hard is because nothing goes unsaid in Precious. The abused from both parents, the extent of the mother's hate for her daughter and her jealousy, the everyday violence that Precious puts up with. It can only be assumed that the whole story is told here, but that may not be the case. There may be horrible things written in the book "Push" that Precious was based off of, that were omitted in the movie. Maybe even things that never made it to the book to begin with.
The most amazing part of the story of Precious is how resilient love is. In American History X it is shown that hate is baggage, but Precious tells a different story with a similar message: love is resilient. Even though she does not know it herself, Precious is full of love. The love of a mother that is endless, even though that is a love she never knew for herself, she has it to give to Abdul and Mongo. She also has love for her sisters and Ms. Rain, who took her in when no one else did.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
ain't nothin in the world get Black Dynamite more mad that some jive ass sucka dealin smack to the kids!
On Black Dynamite:
A complete spoof of the 70s Blaxploitation genre, this movie does not take itself seriously at all. With just about the most ridiculous plot ever, the government is trying to sell a brand of malt liquor that shrinks black male's penis size. The big, boss bad guy behind it all goes from an old Vietnam buddy of Black Dynamite's, to the evil Dr. Wu, to final the biggest bad guy of all. Of course, Richard Nixon.
The most important thing about this movie is that it exists. The Blaxploitation genre of the 70s has had such a big cultural influence that almost 40 years later there is still a spoof being made and popularized. And it is still funny. There is still a cultural significance to the fun being poked and the jokes being made about the black culture of the 70s.
This Shaft/Sweetback-eqsue smooth, jive talkin character found again in Black Dynamite is just the same as he was. He doesn't take shit from anyone, he is basically unbeatable in combat, all the ladies love him, he is almost perfect. Black Dynamite is even a hyperbolized version of that already exaggeration of a character. Black Dynamite makes love to seven women at a time, he fights half a dozen people simultaneously and still whoops everyone's butt, he is cool with the pimps and hos, there is nothing he isn't good at. This character is constantly reappearing in Blaxploitation movies, then and now and even in other genres, but he was first popularized and satirized here in Blaxploitation films. Next on the list is Precious
A complete spoof of the 70s Blaxploitation genre, this movie does not take itself seriously at all. With just about the most ridiculous plot ever, the government is trying to sell a brand of malt liquor that shrinks black male's penis size. The big, boss bad guy behind it all goes from an old Vietnam buddy of Black Dynamite's, to the evil Dr. Wu, to final the biggest bad guy of all. Of course, Richard Nixon.
The most important thing about this movie is that it exists. The Blaxploitation genre of the 70s has had such a big cultural influence that almost 40 years later there is still a spoof being made and popularized. And it is still funny. There is still a cultural significance to the fun being poked and the jokes being made about the black culture of the 70s.
This Shaft/Sweetback-eqsue smooth, jive talkin character found again in Black Dynamite is just the same as he was. He doesn't take shit from anyone, he is basically unbeatable in combat, all the ladies love him, he is almost perfect. Black Dynamite is even a hyperbolized version of that already exaggeration of a character. Black Dynamite makes love to seven women at a time, he fights half a dozen people simultaneously and still whoops everyone's butt, he is cool with the pimps and hos, there is nothing he isn't good at. This character is constantly reappearing in Blaxploitation movies, then and now and even in other genres, but he was first popularized and satirized here in Blaxploitation films. Next on the list is Precious
I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something
On Crash:
Crash is the Do the Right Thing of my generation. This movie not only deals with race relations in terms of blacks and whites, but Asians, Hispanics, Middle Easterns, everybody and how each of these different cultures interact within and with each other. It is that that makes Crash such a great movie and such an important movie to have on my list. I love the idea of the quote I introduced this post with and it fits in perfectly with the idea of the hands of love and hate introduced in Do the Right Thing. Think about the touch as love and when we are deprived of that touch the result is a crash, hate, just to feel something. There is a lot of crashing going on in this movie, but the message sent in the end is a message of love.
Crash is one of the intertwining-stories movies. There are a bunch of different people, with different baggage and different backgrounds that all interact with each other in one way or another and effect each other's lives. One of the most interesting interactions in this story to me is that between the black car thief, Anthony and the black director, Cameron. Anthony is a self-righteous black car thief. His character is so ironic because he is adamant about better his community and the black community, but he also perpetuates the stereotypes he tries to fight. Anthony talks about how pathetic it is for blacks to steal from each other, but he finds himself pointing a gun at Cameron to steal his car one day. Cameron has had a rough day and he is angry so he fights back. Anthony is startled and surprised to find his victim resisting even at gun point. The cop that comes to the scene happened to be the former partner of the officer that molested Cameron's wife and contributed to his bad mood. The cop tries to cut him a break and let him off with a severe warning. Cameron proceeds to drop Anthony off at a bus stop and gives him a stern talking to and tells him, "You are pathetic". That is a harsh, cold taste of reality for Anthony as he is forced to ride the bus he so despises back home.
Graham's character is one that has appeared in a few movies. Graham has a job as a detective that is respectable, and he has made it up and away from his life in the hood. But Graham has abandoned his brother Peter, Anthony's fellow car thief, and his sick mother. After identifying the body, Graham's mother told him that it was Graham himself that killed Peter, because he had not gone to find him and bring him home. That is also the truth, because Graham was afraid. He ran away from his life in the hood and never looked back. Sure, he still loves his family enough to visit his mom every once in a while and drop off groceries, but he has still abandoned his family. It is something that his co-worker and love interest, Ria, points out to him. The two come from very different cultural backgrounds and they think they know each other.
There is so much to take away from this movie about the diverse cultures of Los Angeles and their interactions. The overall message of this movie is not too far off from that of American History X that hate is baggage. Hate is something that grows and grows that you carry around until it just becomes too much and people crash into each other. Love helps alleviate the weight of hate. Next on the list is Black Dynamite
Crash is the Do the Right Thing of my generation. This movie not only deals with race relations in terms of blacks and whites, but Asians, Hispanics, Middle Easterns, everybody and how each of these different cultures interact within and with each other. It is that that makes Crash such a great movie and such an important movie to have on my list. I love the idea of the quote I introduced this post with and it fits in perfectly with the idea of the hands of love and hate introduced in Do the Right Thing. Think about the touch as love and when we are deprived of that touch the result is a crash, hate, just to feel something. There is a lot of crashing going on in this movie, but the message sent in the end is a message of love.
Crash is one of the intertwining-stories movies. There are a bunch of different people, with different baggage and different backgrounds that all interact with each other in one way or another and effect each other's lives. One of the most interesting interactions in this story to me is that between the black car thief, Anthony and the black director, Cameron. Anthony is a self-righteous black car thief. His character is so ironic because he is adamant about better his community and the black community, but he also perpetuates the stereotypes he tries to fight. Anthony talks about how pathetic it is for blacks to steal from each other, but he finds himself pointing a gun at Cameron to steal his car one day. Cameron has had a rough day and he is angry so he fights back. Anthony is startled and surprised to find his victim resisting even at gun point. The cop that comes to the scene happened to be the former partner of the officer that molested Cameron's wife and contributed to his bad mood. The cop tries to cut him a break and let him off with a severe warning. Cameron proceeds to drop Anthony off at a bus stop and gives him a stern talking to and tells him, "You are pathetic". That is a harsh, cold taste of reality for Anthony as he is forced to ride the bus he so despises back home.
Graham's character is one that has appeared in a few movies. Graham has a job as a detective that is respectable, and he has made it up and away from his life in the hood. But Graham has abandoned his brother Peter, Anthony's fellow car thief, and his sick mother. After identifying the body, Graham's mother told him that it was Graham himself that killed Peter, because he had not gone to find him and bring him home. That is also the truth, because Graham was afraid. He ran away from his life in the hood and never looked back. Sure, he still loves his family enough to visit his mom every once in a while and drop off groceries, but he has still abandoned his family. It is something that his co-worker and love interest, Ria, points out to him. The two come from very different cultural backgrounds and they think they know each other.
There is so much to take away from this movie about the diverse cultures of Los Angeles and their interactions. The overall message of this movie is not too far off from that of American History X that hate is baggage. Hate is something that grows and grows that you carry around until it just becomes too much and people crash into each other. Love helps alleviate the weight of hate. Next on the list is Black Dynamite
well let me tell you something: you better watch your ass, cause in the joint, you the nigger. Not me.
On American History X:
I have seen this movie a few times before, and every time I watch it this is the quote that stands out the most to me. It just makes so much sense. Outside of jail Derek Vinyard was the prince to Cameron's white power empire. But in jail he was not safe. He was the minority and he was in trouble. Derek later tells his brother Danny that he does not regret what happened to him in jail. Not the time, not the rape, none of it, because his experience was enlightening. The timely visits from his old English teacher, Dr. Sweeney helped him ask the right question, "Has anything you've done made your life better?"
That is the moment of enlightenment for Derek. After that he stops associating with the skinheads in jail and becomes a loner, whose only ally is Lamont. In writing his paper for Sweeney, Danny reaches a similar conclusion, he ends his paper with the idea that, "Hate is baggage" which is truly the moral of Derek's story and the story of American History X. In the movie the transition of both Derek and Danny is shown from the hand of hate to the hand of love. But, just when everything is starting to be alright again, Derek is making good on his promise to Sweeney to make things right, Danny has written his paper for Sweeney and the family is starting to come together again, the hand of hate gets one last punch in. A young member of a black gang shots Danny at school. In the bathroom, paper in hand, Danny, the former future skinhead leader gets gunned down. The movie ends with the sad conclusion and the viewer can only hope that Derek remembers that 'hate is baggage'. The final words of Danny's paper end much like Do the Right Thing, with a quote, "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature". That is a quote from Abraham Lincoln, which shows how much Danny has changed from the boy who wrote his civil rights paper on "Mein Kampf".
In American History X the perspective of the story is very important. All the early movies I watched were told from the white man's perspective. In movies such as The Birth of a Nation, taking the moral high ground, but in most movies not giving it to the blacks. Then around the time of The Color Purple there was a shift were the movies were told from the black's perspective. This movie turns it inside out and tells the story from the perspective of the hateful white supremacists. Not only is all the hate from the D.O.C. about the blacks (along with all non-white-protestants) shown in this film, but the movie brings it all back around at the end when they young, black gang member kills Danny, further perpetuating the cycle of hate. Next on the list is Crash
I have seen this movie a few times before, and every time I watch it this is the quote that stands out the most to me. It just makes so much sense. Outside of jail Derek Vinyard was the prince to Cameron's white power empire. But in jail he was not safe. He was the minority and he was in trouble. Derek later tells his brother Danny that he does not regret what happened to him in jail. Not the time, not the rape, none of it, because his experience was enlightening. The timely visits from his old English teacher, Dr. Sweeney helped him ask the right question, "Has anything you've done made your life better?"
That is the moment of enlightenment for Derek. After that he stops associating with the skinheads in jail and becomes a loner, whose only ally is Lamont. In writing his paper for Sweeney, Danny reaches a similar conclusion, he ends his paper with the idea that, "Hate is baggage" which is truly the moral of Derek's story and the story of American History X. In the movie the transition of both Derek and Danny is shown from the hand of hate to the hand of love. But, just when everything is starting to be alright again, Derek is making good on his promise to Sweeney to make things right, Danny has written his paper for Sweeney and the family is starting to come together again, the hand of hate gets one last punch in. A young member of a black gang shots Danny at school. In the bathroom, paper in hand, Danny, the former future skinhead leader gets gunned down. The movie ends with the sad conclusion and the viewer can only hope that Derek remembers that 'hate is baggage'. The final words of Danny's paper end much like Do the Right Thing, with a quote, "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature". That is a quote from Abraham Lincoln, which shows how much Danny has changed from the boy who wrote his civil rights paper on "Mein Kampf".
In American History X the perspective of the story is very important. All the early movies I watched were told from the white man's perspective. In movies such as The Birth of a Nation, taking the moral high ground, but in most movies not giving it to the blacks. Then around the time of The Color Purple there was a shift were the movies were told from the black's perspective. This movie turns it inside out and tells the story from the perspective of the hateful white supremacists. Not only is all the hate from the D.O.C. about the blacks (along with all non-white-protestants) shown in this film, but the movie brings it all back around at the end when they young, black gang member kills Danny, further perpetuating the cycle of hate. Next on the list is Crash
Friday, June 11, 2010
I've always believed that a portrait captures a person far better than a photograph. It truly takes a human being to really see a human being.
On Monster's Ball:
The film explains that a 'monster's ball' is the night-before party that those on death row have before their execution. As I watched this depressing movie, I wondered about the purpose of this bizarre ritual was. Do you give a last great taste of life to these people that apparently do not deserve to live it? Why do you give someone this experience only to take everything away directly after? Aside from that, sometimes, the best things in life get taken away from people. This happened a lot in Monster's Ball. After Lawrence Musgrove's execution both Hank Grotowski and Leticia Musgrove lost a son. In fact, they each lost their only son. This event and the series of events that followed left the two people with a gaping hole in each of their lives. Eventually they find each other and they start to need each other, as on the couple's journey many lines are crossed and many things change.
Many things can be considered disgusting about Hank and Leticia as a couple. Hank executed Leticia's husband. The only reason they are with each other is because they each lost a son and needed something good in their lives to distract them. To Hank's father, Buck, the fact that they are an interracial couple is disgusting also. To Buck, in fact, it is such a disgusting fact that he remains ignorant of the other facts and goes right into being disgusted. Watching the interaction when Leticia and Buck accidentally meet is the calm before a storm. Everything seems to being going unexpectedly normal and then the lightning hits. Almost casually into the conversation Buck slips in that, "I had a thing for nigger juice too. Hank is just like his daddy". This comment sends Leticia running and brings us back to the hateful world that is such familiar scenery in this film.
I cannot make a decision about the relationship between Hank and Leticia. On one hand it is beautiful. Sad, but still beautiful. The two cross so much hate to meet in the middle. Hank over comes so many of his and his family's prejudices because he needs this woman. Leticia has lost her family, but she still makes up a lot of ground in letting this white man pursue her. On the other hand, in order for this relationship to start, three people had to die. Is that what has to happen for a black person and a white person with all this baggage to come together?
This is a movie off the list with an interracial couple. While the movie did leave the viewer feeling awful dirty and with a lot of questions about the morality, meaning and future for the couple it is still significant that the movie has an interracial couple. It is also important that the movie points out all the problems and flaws with this relationship, both involving and not involving race, this movie brings up how messed up the couple is. I think that that says the most about how far film-making has come, this movie is allowed to have a dysfunctional, interracial couple and it is still a great, oscar nominated film of its time. Next on the list is Crash
The film explains that a 'monster's ball' is the night-before party that those on death row have before their execution. As I watched this depressing movie, I wondered about the purpose of this bizarre ritual was. Do you give a last great taste of life to these people that apparently do not deserve to live it? Why do you give someone this experience only to take everything away directly after? Aside from that, sometimes, the best things in life get taken away from people. This happened a lot in Monster's Ball. After Lawrence Musgrove's execution both Hank Grotowski and Leticia Musgrove lost a son. In fact, they each lost their only son. This event and the series of events that followed left the two people with a gaping hole in each of their lives. Eventually they find each other and they start to need each other, as on the couple's journey many lines are crossed and many things change.
Many things can be considered disgusting about Hank and Leticia as a couple. Hank executed Leticia's husband. The only reason they are with each other is because they each lost a son and needed something good in their lives to distract them. To Hank's father, Buck, the fact that they are an interracial couple is disgusting also. To Buck, in fact, it is such a disgusting fact that he remains ignorant of the other facts and goes right into being disgusted. Watching the interaction when Leticia and Buck accidentally meet is the calm before a storm. Everything seems to being going unexpectedly normal and then the lightning hits. Almost casually into the conversation Buck slips in that, "I had a thing for nigger juice too. Hank is just like his daddy". This comment sends Leticia running and brings us back to the hateful world that is such familiar scenery in this film.
I cannot make a decision about the relationship between Hank and Leticia. On one hand it is beautiful. Sad, but still beautiful. The two cross so much hate to meet in the middle. Hank over comes so many of his and his family's prejudices because he needs this woman. Leticia has lost her family, but she still makes up a lot of ground in letting this white man pursue her. On the other hand, in order for this relationship to start, three people had to die. Is that what has to happen for a black person and a white person with all this baggage to come together?
This is a movie off the list with an interracial couple. While the movie did leave the viewer feeling awful dirty and with a lot of questions about the morality, meaning and future for the couple it is still significant that the movie has an interracial couple. It is also important that the movie points out all the problems and flaws with this relationship, both involving and not involving race, this movie brings up how messed up the couple is. I think that that says the most about how far film-making has come, this movie is allowed to have a dysfunctional, interracial couple and it is still a great, oscar nominated film of its time. Next on the list is Crash
Monday, June 7, 2010
Alice, are you blind? don't you see the family resemblence? that's my brother.
On Remember the Titans:
This movie has a lot of love in it. Football is the great unifier for this newly integrated Virginia school. Of course, all parties go into the idea of an integrated team kicking-and-screaming, but by the end of the movie, the team is one family; all the players brothers and Coach Boone the daddy. The rivalry between Gerry and Julius quickly becomes a brotherhood that sets an example for the rest of the team.
All of the main characters in this movie start out as the hand of hate but start to turn into the hand of love, because of football. Society, on the other hand, is hate the whole way through. After the boys had made so much progress at camp, once they are dropped back in school they are in a society that is not ready to be integrated. It is a struggle to maintain that brotherhood in the face of adversity. Even as society tries to pull their ties apart, the team still goes on to win the state championship as the only integrated school competing. While some may argue that has to do with the athleticism of a team that is integrated, I'd like to think that the victory is more so due to the unique camaraderie that a team in the situation these boys are in have to go through. To want to win and to want to play so badly that as an individual you are willing to overcome all you knew about race, is a lot. A full squad of boys doing this together, at the same time, builds a lot of life-long friendships.
In addition to the fact that Remember the Titans is a great movie that tackles the issue of integration, this movie is on my list because of the setting. T.C. Williams is a local high-school, I know kids that go there and my home school has played them regularly. This movie helps to remind he how close to home (literally) the issue of black and white relations hit.
I am surprised by how little there is to cay about this movie. It is a great movie and i can recognize that. There are bricks thrown through windows, racial slurs and confrontations throughout this movie, it doesn't exactly sugar-coat the story. There is a certain "Hollywood-ed" quality to the story of Remember the Titans, but that is to be expected, seeing as is it a Disney movie. Mostly what I got out of re-watching this movie was more support for my theory about the hand of love and the hand of hate. This movie was solidly love. Next on the list is Monster's Ball
This movie has a lot of love in it. Football is the great unifier for this newly integrated Virginia school. Of course, all parties go into the idea of an integrated team kicking-and-screaming, but by the end of the movie, the team is one family; all the players brothers and Coach Boone the daddy. The rivalry between Gerry and Julius quickly becomes a brotherhood that sets an example for the rest of the team.
All of the main characters in this movie start out as the hand of hate but start to turn into the hand of love, because of football. Society, on the other hand, is hate the whole way through. After the boys had made so much progress at camp, once they are dropped back in school they are in a society that is not ready to be integrated. It is a struggle to maintain that brotherhood in the face of adversity. Even as society tries to pull their ties apart, the team still goes on to win the state championship as the only integrated school competing. While some may argue that has to do with the athleticism of a team that is integrated, I'd like to think that the victory is more so due to the unique camaraderie that a team in the situation these boys are in have to go through. To want to win and to want to play so badly that as an individual you are willing to overcome all you knew about race, is a lot. A full squad of boys doing this together, at the same time, builds a lot of life-long friendships.
In addition to the fact that Remember the Titans is a great movie that tackles the issue of integration, this movie is on my list because of the setting. T.C. Williams is a local high-school, I know kids that go there and my home school has played them regularly. This movie helps to remind he how close to home (literally) the issue of black and white relations hit.
I am surprised by how little there is to cay about this movie. It is a great movie and i can recognize that. There are bricks thrown through windows, racial slurs and confrontations throughout this movie, it doesn't exactly sugar-coat the story. There is a certain "Hollywood-ed" quality to the story of Remember the Titans, but that is to be expected, seeing as is it a Disney movie. Mostly what I got out of re-watching this movie was more support for my theory about the hand of love and the hand of hate. This movie was solidly love. Next on the list is Monster's Ball
Sunday, June 6, 2010
you can take Dashiki out the hood, but you can't take the hood niggas out Dashiki
On Don't Be a Menace in South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood:
Wow. I had no idea. I knew that this movie was a satire, and it was a blaxploitation movie, but I hit the jackpot. This movie is a spoof of Boyz N the Hood. Literally a spoof of the movie I just watched. If you can call it a plot, it is basically the same as the plot in Boyz N the Hood. A lot of the scenes are just making fun of the scenes from Boyz N the Hood. The reason I am so surprised is because Boyz N the Hood came out five years before this movie. I am sure that there were a lot of movies in between that were also spoofed in Don't Be a Menace.
This movie is basically stereotype after stereotype after stereotype the whole way through. People are being shot constantly, everyone seems to have a gun on their person, there is a constant pursuit of sex, grandma smokes weed and curses like everyone else and I think someone is drinking a 40oz in literally every scene. It's bad. The main point of movies like this being on the list is it shows how dominate movies such as Boyz N the Hood are, that movie was so culturally significant a movie that is a spoof of it was popularized five years later.
The social commentary of this movie is not necessarily honest, it is crude. Jokes are made about sexuality about blacks, about alcoholic and drug habits about blacks and about black-on-black violence. None of those topics are particularly funny, until they are made fun of. The extent of these topics has to reach critical mass before jokes about them become mainstream, to there is also some cultural significance there. Next on the list is A Time to Kill
Wow. I had no idea. I knew that this movie was a satire, and it was a blaxploitation movie, but I hit the jackpot. This movie is a spoof of Boyz N the Hood. Literally a spoof of the movie I just watched. If you can call it a plot, it is basically the same as the plot in Boyz N the Hood. A lot of the scenes are just making fun of the scenes from Boyz N the Hood. The reason I am so surprised is because Boyz N the Hood came out five years before this movie. I am sure that there were a lot of movies in between that were also spoofed in Don't Be a Menace.
This movie is basically stereotype after stereotype after stereotype the whole way through. People are being shot constantly, everyone seems to have a gun on their person, there is a constant pursuit of sex, grandma smokes weed and curses like everyone else and I think someone is drinking a 40oz in literally every scene. It's bad. The main point of movies like this being on the list is it shows how dominate movies such as Boyz N the Hood are, that movie was so culturally significant a movie that is a spoof of it was popularized five years later.
The social commentary of this movie is not necessarily honest, it is crude. Jokes are made about sexuality about blacks, about alcoholic and drug habits about blacks and about black-on-black violence. None of those topics are particularly funny, until they are made fun of. The extent of these topics has to reach critical mass before jokes about them become mainstream, to there is also some cultural significance there. Next on the list is A Time to Kill
Domino, motherfucker!
On Boyz N the Hood:
This story has been told so many times. It has a new face in this movie though. It a coming of age story about life in the hood. Tre moves into the hood to live with his father, Furious Styles, so that he can 'become a man'. His neighbor, Do, is his best friend growing up, who gets but in juvie for shoplifting and is in and out of jail ever since. This movie brings back the idea of the hand of love and the hand of hate.
Tre is the hand of love in this movie. He is a good kid, he always tries to do the right thing. Furious Styles did a good job of raising him to be a conscious, black, young man. As a father, Furious styles tries to educate his son, and how it is different to grow up as a black male in South Central LA, as Do puts it, "Tre, your pops is like motherfuckin Malcolm...Farrakhan". Even with his father's love, life is still hard for Tre. At the climax of the movie, Tre watches his friend Ricky get shot down for no good reason. After that it looks like the hand of hate is winning. In a previous scene, Tre goes to his girlfriends house and swings around violently because he hates life in the hood. Tre gets a gun and sneaks out of the house to go seek revenge with Do. On the ride over, Tre makes the right decision though and asks to get out of the car.
Do on the other hand, is the hand of hate. He can't make the same decision that Tre did. Whether it was because he never had a father, or because he had already spent so much time in jail, or because Ricky was his own brother and he wanted to do something right for once, Do did kill his brother's murderers. Not only did Do and his crew gun the assailants down, but once they were on the ground, Do got out of his car and made sure each of the bodies was dead by shooting them again if they were still moving and talking. An interesting point is brought up about black-on-black violence. As Do walks up to one of the men he gunned down the guy says that he didn't even kill his brother. It doesn't matter to Do though, he kills him just for being there. He does this because he is so full of hate, he was socialized that way. And it wasn't what was on television or what he was listening to, but because it was all that was there. He never had a father, his mom did not love him nearly as much as Ricky, he was in jail or juvie most of his life, hate is all he knows. At the end of the movie though the hand of love reaches out to the hand of hate and Tre lets Do know that he "still has one brother left".
The movie ends in the same way that it is introduced. The movie starts with statistics about black-on-black violence in America, and the movie ends saying that Do dies a few days later and Tre went on to college and raise a family, et cetera. Boyz N the Hood is almost like a Lifetime movie, except it is not unbearably lame. The story makes sense and the dialogue is good, it is a real good movie, but it still has the message and the lesson.
Starting with Do the Right Thing there has been a paradigm shift in the soundtracks in the movies. It was first noticeable in 1989, that instead of Ray Charles, Earth, Wind, and Fire and Isaac Hayes producing songs for the movies it is all rap and hip-hop. I am sure this trend will continue. The weird thing is this change seemed to happen in a split second, i wonder if that was similar with the music change in real life too. Next on the list is Don't Be a Menace in South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
This story has been told so many times. It has a new face in this movie though. It a coming of age story about life in the hood. Tre moves into the hood to live with his father, Furious Styles, so that he can 'become a man'. His neighbor, Do, is his best friend growing up, who gets but in juvie for shoplifting and is in and out of jail ever since. This movie brings back the idea of the hand of love and the hand of hate.
Tre is the hand of love in this movie. He is a good kid, he always tries to do the right thing. Furious Styles did a good job of raising him to be a conscious, black, young man. As a father, Furious styles tries to educate his son, and how it is different to grow up as a black male in South Central LA, as Do puts it, "Tre, your pops is like motherfuckin Malcolm...Farrakhan". Even with his father's love, life is still hard for Tre. At the climax of the movie, Tre watches his friend Ricky get shot down for no good reason. After that it looks like the hand of hate is winning. In a previous scene, Tre goes to his girlfriends house and swings around violently because he hates life in the hood. Tre gets a gun and sneaks out of the house to go seek revenge with Do. On the ride over, Tre makes the right decision though and asks to get out of the car.
Do on the other hand, is the hand of hate. He can't make the same decision that Tre did. Whether it was because he never had a father, or because he had already spent so much time in jail, or because Ricky was his own brother and he wanted to do something right for once, Do did kill his brother's murderers. Not only did Do and his crew gun the assailants down, but once they were on the ground, Do got out of his car and made sure each of the bodies was dead by shooting them again if they were still moving and talking. An interesting point is brought up about black-on-black violence. As Do walks up to one of the men he gunned down the guy says that he didn't even kill his brother. It doesn't matter to Do though, he kills him just for being there. He does this because he is so full of hate, he was socialized that way. And it wasn't what was on television or what he was listening to, but because it was all that was there. He never had a father, his mom did not love him nearly as much as Ricky, he was in jail or juvie most of his life, hate is all he knows. At the end of the movie though the hand of love reaches out to the hand of hate and Tre lets Do know that he "still has one brother left".
The movie ends in the same way that it is introduced. The movie starts with statistics about black-on-black violence in America, and the movie ends saying that Do dies a few days later and Tre went on to college and raise a family, et cetera. Boyz N the Hood is almost like a Lifetime movie, except it is not unbearably lame. The story makes sense and the dialogue is good, it is a real good movie, but it still has the message and the lesson.
Starting with Do the Right Thing there has been a paradigm shift in the soundtracks in the movies. It was first noticeable in 1989, that instead of Ray Charles, Earth, Wind, and Fire and Isaac Hayes producing songs for the movies it is all rap and hip-hop. I am sure this trend will continue. The weird thing is this change seemed to happen in a split second, i wonder if that was similar with the music change in real life too. Next on the list is Don't Be a Menace in South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
I've never been prejudiced in my life and you know it
On Driving Miss Daisy:
I did not get too much out of this film. Basically Miss Daisy is a stubborn, old, southern, Jewish woman and her driver, Hoke, is an old black man. Miss Daisy is kicking-and-screaming most of the way, but Hoke's persistence, along with the help of Boolie's wallet, leads to their inevitable friendship. The relationship they eventually reach is sweet, but it takes years and years, right up to when senility starts to set in with the old couple. I think that the point of this movie is that there are, or at least were 50 years ago, people like this.
Miss Daisy gets old fast. In both senses of the phrase. By the end of the movie she is in her 90s and going senile. She is a stubborn old lady, and when she crashes her car at the beginning of the movie, she denies that she needs a driver. She is not exactly fond of the driver her son hires for her, and as a cherry on top of the sundae of discontent, the driver, Hoke, is black. Now, Miss Daisy is not prejudiced (as she puts it). She already has a black house maid, but with the driver she has to been seen everywhere with this black man and the two are forced to cross paths more, so Miss Daisy is not happy about the situation.
Hoke is the most interesting character in the movie. Since the first scene he is in to the last he is trying to do nice things for other people. His persistence with other people, namely Miss Daisy, is what makes him so special. Hoke is not mad that he can't read. He is not mad that Miss daisy for being so stubborn. He is not mad that he is poor and black. He is not mad at life, he is not angry. No matter how unfair things are, be is not a fighter. It reminds me of the Martin Luther King quote at the end of Do the Right Thing, "an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind". Hoke is the hand of love, like Da Mayor in Do the Right Thing. Do the Right Thing reinforced the idea that there are the two main different kinds of black characters in the movies I have been watching, those who fight back, however they think is right, and those who live life. It is just like the hand of love and the hand of hate, and this idea was further reinforced with Hoke's character. Next on the list is Boyz N the Hood.
I did not get too much out of this film. Basically Miss Daisy is a stubborn, old, southern, Jewish woman and her driver, Hoke, is an old black man. Miss Daisy is kicking-and-screaming most of the way, but Hoke's persistence, along with the help of Boolie's wallet, leads to their inevitable friendship. The relationship they eventually reach is sweet, but it takes years and years, right up to when senility starts to set in with the old couple. I think that the point of this movie is that there are, or at least were 50 years ago, people like this.
Miss Daisy gets old fast. In both senses of the phrase. By the end of the movie she is in her 90s and going senile. She is a stubborn old lady, and when she crashes her car at the beginning of the movie, she denies that she needs a driver. She is not exactly fond of the driver her son hires for her, and as a cherry on top of the sundae of discontent, the driver, Hoke, is black. Now, Miss Daisy is not prejudiced (as she puts it). She already has a black house maid, but with the driver she has to been seen everywhere with this black man and the two are forced to cross paths more, so Miss Daisy is not happy about the situation.
Hoke is the most interesting character in the movie. Since the first scene he is in to the last he is trying to do nice things for other people. His persistence with other people, namely Miss Daisy, is what makes him so special. Hoke is not mad that he can't read. He is not mad that Miss daisy for being so stubborn. He is not mad that he is poor and black. He is not mad at life, he is not angry. No matter how unfair things are, be is not a fighter. It reminds me of the Martin Luther King quote at the end of Do the Right Thing, "an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind". Hoke is the hand of love, like Da Mayor in Do the Right Thing. Do the Right Thing reinforced the idea that there are the two main different kinds of black characters in the movies I have been watching, those who fight back, however they think is right, and those who live life. It is just like the hand of love and the hand of hate, and this idea was further reinforced with Hoke's character. Next on the list is Boyz N the Hood.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Whoa. Y'all take a chill. You got to cool that shit off. And that's the double-truth, Ruth.
On Do the Right Thing:
There is so much to say about this movie. I thought it was a great movie that everyone should watch the first time I saw it, but somehow, I got even more out of the film this time. I can hardly choose where to start.
Radio Raheem and Mookie are having a conversation about Raheem's new rings, love on the right hand, hate of the left, and Raheem breaks into a monologue: "Let me tell you the story of Right Hand, Left Hand. It's a tale of good and evil. Hate: it was with this hand that Cain iced his brother. Love: these five fingers, they go straight to the soul of man. The right hand: the hand of love. The story of life is this: static. One hand is always fighting the other hand, and the left hand is kicking much ass. I mean, it looks like the right hand, Love, is finished. But hold on, stop the presses, the right hand is coming back. Yeah, he got the left hand on the ropes, now, that's right. Ooh, it's a devastating right and Hate is hurt, he's down. Left-Hand Hate KOed by Love." Now, this is a movie. Directors and producers spend days and days making the final cut of every film. There was a reason for this awkward monologue. It does introduce the idea, presented again and again throughout the film, of the fight between love and hate, but there is also a literary allusion that is a little out of place. Raheem refers to his left hand as the hand that "Cain iced his brother" with. The movie ends with a lot of hate, so as I interpret it, Cain does kill his brother in this movie. Now the only question is who is Cain and who is Abel? Sal could be Cain when he breaks Raheem's beloved radio. Raheem could be Cain when he is tries to strangle Sal. The police could be Cain when they kill Raheem. I personally believe that Mookie is Cain.
Sal refers to Mookie as one of his sons and he tells him that he always has a place at the pizzeria. When Sal and Buggin Out start arguing, and the argument starts to escalate, Mookie finds him self caught up in hate. Mookie is Cain killing Abel when he throws the first trash can through the restaurant window. It is this betrayal that leads to the looting and burning of Sal's Famous Pizzeria. In this action, it looks like Raheem was wrong, hate conquered love.
Spike Lee uses a directing technique in this movie that is reminiscent of Akira Kurosawa. Lee uses the weather to symbolize the conflict between the people in the city. The weather is hot, the heat just keeps getting worse throughout the story. Not only is heat and anagram for hate, but the heat reaches a climax when Sal's Famous is set on fire. The hottest moment in the movie is when the building is on fire, and for what, just to get some pictures on a wall. In the moment of the burning, Smiley puts a picture of Martin Luther King and Malcom X on the wall, just as it burns to the ground. The movie closes with a quote from each of the black leader, in my mind to represent the the hands of love and hate. Next on the list is Boyz N The Hood
There is so much to say about this movie. I thought it was a great movie that everyone should watch the first time I saw it, but somehow, I got even more out of the film this time. I can hardly choose where to start.
Radio Raheem and Mookie are having a conversation about Raheem's new rings, love on the right hand, hate of the left, and Raheem breaks into a monologue: "Let me tell you the story of Right Hand, Left Hand. It's a tale of good and evil. Hate: it was with this hand that Cain iced his brother. Love: these five fingers, they go straight to the soul of man. The right hand: the hand of love. The story of life is this: static. One hand is always fighting the other hand, and the left hand is kicking much ass. I mean, it looks like the right hand, Love, is finished. But hold on, stop the presses, the right hand is coming back. Yeah, he got the left hand on the ropes, now, that's right. Ooh, it's a devastating right and Hate is hurt, he's down. Left-Hand Hate KOed by Love." Now, this is a movie. Directors and producers spend days and days making the final cut of every film. There was a reason for this awkward monologue. It does introduce the idea, presented again and again throughout the film, of the fight between love and hate, but there is also a literary allusion that is a little out of place. Raheem refers to his left hand as the hand that "Cain iced his brother" with. The movie ends with a lot of hate, so as I interpret it, Cain does kill his brother in this movie. Now the only question is who is Cain and who is Abel? Sal could be Cain when he breaks Raheem's beloved radio. Raheem could be Cain when he is tries to strangle Sal. The police could be Cain when they kill Raheem. I personally believe that Mookie is Cain.
Sal refers to Mookie as one of his sons and he tells him that he always has a place at the pizzeria. When Sal and Buggin Out start arguing, and the argument starts to escalate, Mookie finds him self caught up in hate. Mookie is Cain killing Abel when he throws the first trash can through the restaurant window. It is this betrayal that leads to the looting and burning of Sal's Famous Pizzeria. In this action, it looks like Raheem was wrong, hate conquered love.
Spike Lee uses a directing technique in this movie that is reminiscent of Akira Kurosawa. Lee uses the weather to symbolize the conflict between the people in the city. The weather is hot, the heat just keeps getting worse throughout the story. Not only is heat and anagram for hate, but the heat reaches a climax when Sal's Famous is set on fire. The hottest moment in the movie is when the building is on fire, and for what, just to get some pictures on a wall. In the moment of the burning, Smiley puts a picture of Martin Luther King and Malcom X on the wall, just as it burns to the ground. The movie closes with a quote from each of the black leader, in my mind to represent the the hands of love and hate. Next on the list is Boyz N The Hood
Thursday, June 3, 2010
I'm poor, I'm black, I might even be ugly, but dear God, I'm here
On The Color Purple:
This is one of the most important movies I have watched yet. The biggest reason is that it stars and ugly, black female. That is the character that this story is all about, the poor, black, ugly woman that almost no one has any love for. Its a story about resilience and being true to yourself, told through the perspective of Miss Celie. The world has never made life easy for Celie, she was raped by her father, her kids were taken away from her, she was sold to her neighbor as a wife, raped by him, beaten by him, separated from her sister by him and kept in a prison by him. But as soon as Celie gets the right chance, she leaves him. That is the happy ending that makes the story of her struggle so beautiful, she stays hopeful and finally escapes in the end.
Oprah Winfrey plays Sofia in this movie, a big, black woman who has fought her whole life. She as fought the men in her life and she has fought the oppression from the whites in her life. That is just who Sofia is, she is a fighter. The most dramatic scene in this movie is a job offer. The governor's wife is admiring Sofia's black children and is so enthralled by them that she asks Sofia to be her maid. The governor's wife is an ignorant woman, Sofia does not need a job. Sofia responds: "Hell no" as Sofia, the fighter she is, would. It was rude, but so was the job offer in reality. The governor's wife proceeds to tell on Sofia to her husband. To take a break in telling this story, keep in mind of the social classes of the 1920s. Black women are still called 'girls', or worse, and this 'girl' just disrespected the most important woman in town. So the governor asks Sofia what just happened and she still said: "hell no". The governor smacks Sofia. Sofia has had to fight all her life, and its almost as if every punch she has thrown has been a lead up to this moment of revolution. She knows the consequences of the action that is about to happen, but the decision has already been made, it always has been. Sofia punches the governor and basically a riot breaks out. The entire town surrounds Sofia and yells and pushes until one man pistol whips Sofia, knocking her out. Sofia wakes up in jail and stays there, only to be released years later as the governor's wife's maid. The irony of this situation is too much. The most ironic part of all is that if she had never fought back, her actions would have been more of a revolution. She would have never been forced to be anyone's maid had she not thrown that punch. All the punch did was given the governor and the town a reason to oppress this woman further. Sofia is just such a passionate woman, but somethings in life are ultimate.
The governor's wife is a whole new kind of ignorant. She is ignorant of her own ignorance. She thinks she is helping, she tries to help with the education of black children and offers Sofia a job as a maid, but in reality she is afraid. The governor's wife's fears are highlighted on Christmas. Trying to do her maid a favor, the governor's wife drives Sofia out to her house to spend the day with her family, only to make a fool of her self driving home. The men of the family try to help the governor's wife drive her car, but she thinks they are attacking her because they are surrounding her car. She freaks out and the whole situation is too much stress for her, so she 'needs' Sofia to drive her home. This is so cruel, but the governor's wife is ignorant of how evil she is being. It is very frustrating to watch.
The Sofia character is similar to Private Peterson in A Soldier's Story. This character is a stark contrast to the classic Sidney Poitier character who keeps his cool. I think that the reason for this change in characters is due to the changing times. Given, there is still the Sidney Poitier-esque character as a protagonist, the emergence of the Malcolm X to his Martin Luther King is because people can accept a fighter now. Next on the list is actually Do the Right Thing today.
This is one of the most important movies I have watched yet. The biggest reason is that it stars and ugly, black female. That is the character that this story is all about, the poor, black, ugly woman that almost no one has any love for. Its a story about resilience and being true to yourself, told through the perspective of Miss Celie. The world has never made life easy for Celie, she was raped by her father, her kids were taken away from her, she was sold to her neighbor as a wife, raped by him, beaten by him, separated from her sister by him and kept in a prison by him. But as soon as Celie gets the right chance, she leaves him. That is the happy ending that makes the story of her struggle so beautiful, she stays hopeful and finally escapes in the end.
Oprah Winfrey plays Sofia in this movie, a big, black woman who has fought her whole life. She as fought the men in her life and she has fought the oppression from the whites in her life. That is just who Sofia is, she is a fighter. The most dramatic scene in this movie is a job offer. The governor's wife is admiring Sofia's black children and is so enthralled by them that she asks Sofia to be her maid. The governor's wife is an ignorant woman, Sofia does not need a job. Sofia responds: "Hell no" as Sofia, the fighter she is, would. It was rude, but so was the job offer in reality. The governor's wife proceeds to tell on Sofia to her husband. To take a break in telling this story, keep in mind of the social classes of the 1920s. Black women are still called 'girls', or worse, and this 'girl' just disrespected the most important woman in town. So the governor asks Sofia what just happened and she still said: "hell no". The governor smacks Sofia. Sofia has had to fight all her life, and its almost as if every punch she has thrown has been a lead up to this moment of revolution. She knows the consequences of the action that is about to happen, but the decision has already been made, it always has been. Sofia punches the governor and basically a riot breaks out. The entire town surrounds Sofia and yells and pushes until one man pistol whips Sofia, knocking her out. Sofia wakes up in jail and stays there, only to be released years later as the governor's wife's maid. The irony of this situation is too much. The most ironic part of all is that if she had never fought back, her actions would have been more of a revolution. She would have never been forced to be anyone's maid had she not thrown that punch. All the punch did was given the governor and the town a reason to oppress this woman further. Sofia is just such a passionate woman, but somethings in life are ultimate.
The governor's wife is a whole new kind of ignorant. She is ignorant of her own ignorance. She thinks she is helping, she tries to help with the education of black children and offers Sofia a job as a maid, but in reality she is afraid. The governor's wife's fears are highlighted on Christmas. Trying to do her maid a favor, the governor's wife drives Sofia out to her house to spend the day with her family, only to make a fool of her self driving home. The men of the family try to help the governor's wife drive her car, but she thinks they are attacking her because they are surrounding her car. She freaks out and the whole situation is too much stress for her, so she 'needs' Sofia to drive her home. This is so cruel, but the governor's wife is ignorant of how evil she is being. It is very frustrating to watch.
The Sofia character is similar to Private Peterson in A Soldier's Story. This character is a stark contrast to the classic Sidney Poitier character who keeps his cool. I think that the reason for this change in characters is due to the changing times. Given, there is still the Sidney Poitier-esque character as a protagonist, the emergence of the Malcolm X to his Martin Luther King is because people can accept a fighter now. Next on the list is actually Do the Right Thing today.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
see, the black race can't afford you no more
On A Soldier's Story:
More than anything, this movie exposes the turmoil within the black race in America. This movie is about a black man murdering another black man, and the cause of this violence is the ignorance and lack of acceptance between blacks. Sgt. Waters is a bad man. He has no tolerance for blacks he believes are reinforcing the old stereotypes, because he believes that they slow down all the forward momentum that the blacks have gained. That does not mean that he deserves to be killed though. And the killing of a man like this only perpetuates a negative mindset like that of the Sergent.
Of course, Sgt. Waters is no better for leading CJ to his suicide. CJ was a singing, baseball playing, "yessah-bossin" as Sgt. Waters put it. Waters did not want him in the military, and didn't even really want him alive because he might set blacks back a few decades. Or at least Waters thinks so. Not only does Sgt. Waters frame CJ for a murder that he did, but that was the real reason for the murder in the first place. He did not plan to advance his race by murdering the white officer, but rather by getting rid of CJ. Perhaps he thought he was killing two birds with one stone, but the point is that Sgt. Waters went to ridiculous lengths to get rid of CJ.
Private Peterson killed Sgt. Waters for what he did to CJ. Sure, what he did was revenge. Not necessarily justified to most people, but he had a purpose. Private Peterson hated Sgt. Waters and was the only man in his brigade to stand up against the ignorant oppression that Waters perpetuates. Someone does need to fight Sgt. Waters, but killing someone is different than fighting them. Fighting people like this shows that the oppression will not be put up with and it gives hope for the oppressed. It demonstrates that Sgt. Waters is wrong. But murder is wrong. Hate to use this cliche, but two wrongs don't make a right. Killing Waters is also black-on-black violence. The message that sends happens to be the exact message that Waters did not want to send about black people. Regardless of what ever motive Peterson may have had, to everyone in the town and everyone else in the military it just looks like things are not changing for the better and that the advancement of blacks is a pipe-dream.
This movie has a couple that has appeared in so many of the movies that I have watched. The black man and the white man working together on a criminal case. It is more subdued in this movie, the focus of the movie is the case itself, but Captain Davenport and Captain Taylor do butt-heads in their efforts to bring justice to the murder case of Sgt. Waters. I accidentally skipped a movie last week, and I decided when I realizes I had skipped it, to just forget about it, because by that time I had already watched too many movies so that it made zero chronological sense for me to go so far back in time. The reappearances of the dynamic duo makes me want to watch a buddy-cop movie now though, it might make an interesting comparison. So I plan to add an undecided buddy-cop movie to the list in replacement of the movie I skipped. Next on the list is Do the Right Thing
More than anything, this movie exposes the turmoil within the black race in America. This movie is about a black man murdering another black man, and the cause of this violence is the ignorance and lack of acceptance between blacks. Sgt. Waters is a bad man. He has no tolerance for blacks he believes are reinforcing the old stereotypes, because he believes that they slow down all the forward momentum that the blacks have gained. That does not mean that he deserves to be killed though. And the killing of a man like this only perpetuates a negative mindset like that of the Sergent.
Of course, Sgt. Waters is no better for leading CJ to his suicide. CJ was a singing, baseball playing, "yessah-bossin" as Sgt. Waters put it. Waters did not want him in the military, and didn't even really want him alive because he might set blacks back a few decades. Or at least Waters thinks so. Not only does Sgt. Waters frame CJ for a murder that he did, but that was the real reason for the murder in the first place. He did not plan to advance his race by murdering the white officer, but rather by getting rid of CJ. Perhaps he thought he was killing two birds with one stone, but the point is that Sgt. Waters went to ridiculous lengths to get rid of CJ.
Private Peterson killed Sgt. Waters for what he did to CJ. Sure, what he did was revenge. Not necessarily justified to most people, but he had a purpose. Private Peterson hated Sgt. Waters and was the only man in his brigade to stand up against the ignorant oppression that Waters perpetuates. Someone does need to fight Sgt. Waters, but killing someone is different than fighting them. Fighting people like this shows that the oppression will not be put up with and it gives hope for the oppressed. It demonstrates that Sgt. Waters is wrong. But murder is wrong. Hate to use this cliche, but two wrongs don't make a right. Killing Waters is also black-on-black violence. The message that sends happens to be the exact message that Waters did not want to send about black people. Regardless of what ever motive Peterson may have had, to everyone in the town and everyone else in the military it just looks like things are not changing for the better and that the advancement of blacks is a pipe-dream.
This movie has a couple that has appeared in so many of the movies that I have watched. The black man and the white man working together on a criminal case. It is more subdued in this movie, the focus of the movie is the case itself, but Captain Davenport and Captain Taylor do butt-heads in their efforts to bring justice to the murder case of Sgt. Waters. I accidentally skipped a movie last week, and I decided when I realizes I had skipped it, to just forget about it, because by that time I had already watched too many movies so that it made zero chronological sense for me to go so far back in time. The reappearances of the dynamic duo makes me want to watch a buddy-cop movie now though, it might make an interesting comparison. So I plan to add an undecided buddy-cop movie to the list in replacement of the movie I skipped. Next on the list is Do the Right Thing
Monday, May 31, 2010
good evening sheriff, sorry about the 'up yours, nigger'
On Blazing Saddles:
This quote epitomizes this movie. Flashback to the scene in reference, the fact that in Mel Brooks' movie he has an old lady of the west saying, "Up yours, nigger" to the newly appointed sheriff, is ridiculous. Once Sheriff Bart has proved himself as more than just a black person to the town, the same lady brings him an apple pie and an apology. Given she does confirm that he will have the decency to not mention she came by. This scene calls the question: "is this really the way that people talked and acted back in the 1870s"? but then again, this would never have happened because there would never have been a black sheriff in some 1870s, ho-dunk, town in the American west. Watching a Mel Brooks movie is like a real life Loony Toons episode without the censorship boundaries of a children's program. Only Mel Brooks can get away with a racial commentary like this, distracted by slap-stick comedy and quirky dialogue.
Way too many stereotypes are addressed in this movie. In the first scene the white men watching over the black railroad workers bother the workers for a song, like back in the days they used to be slaves. They sing "I Get a Kick Outta You", to the white men's dismay, but the men request "The Camp Town Lady". The workers are apparently unfamiliar with the song, but in the white men's excitement, they start to sing in dance. Mel Brooks switched it. He made the white men look like idiots, because they like the songs better than the blacks do. Enough so to distract from their usual bigotry and get them in trouble for slacking off. Nothing is untouchable in this movie, sexual stereotypes, intelligence stereotypes, income stereotypes, etc. Maybe in this blog credit is only given to how blacks are shown in the movie, but all races are fair game in the director's lens of Mel Brooks.
The way blacks are portrayed in this movie as if the blacks of the 1970s, when the movie was filmed, were dropped a hundred years in the past, when the movie takes place. The do understand and seem to accept the way that race relations are during this time period, but the way they interact with each other, is completely out of the time period. There are high-fives and black power signs every once in a while shared between the railroad workers. Sheriff Bart, the protagonist, is the black sheriff made to protect the town. Much like Shaft, he is cool, likable and able to handle any situation; a positively projected protagonist that is a black man. The big difference is that Sheriff Bart is just about the only black character in this movie.
This would be the third movie that the main black protagonist plays a police officer. I cannot come with any good reason for this. Maybe, it is just an easy way to make a good black character. I know that sounds a little bad, but this is a transitional period in the movie business. Viewers in America at the time period that movies like In the Heat of the Night are not going to accept characters like Virgil for no reason. Making the black character a policeman automatically places this character on the side of good. It also acts as an excuse for the character not to completely lash out against the slurs and other attacks directed at him, because the character is a police officer, he is on the side of order and justice and good. There has still yet to be a main black female character, I guess America is not quite ready yet. Next on the list is A Soldier's Story.
This quote epitomizes this movie. Flashback to the scene in reference, the fact that in Mel Brooks' movie he has an old lady of the west saying, "Up yours, nigger" to the newly appointed sheriff, is ridiculous. Once Sheriff Bart has proved himself as more than just a black person to the town, the same lady brings him an apple pie and an apology. Given she does confirm that he will have the decency to not mention she came by. This scene calls the question: "is this really the way that people talked and acted back in the 1870s"? but then again, this would never have happened because there would never have been a black sheriff in some 1870s, ho-dunk, town in the American west. Watching a Mel Brooks movie is like a real life Loony Toons episode without the censorship boundaries of a children's program. Only Mel Brooks can get away with a racial commentary like this, distracted by slap-stick comedy and quirky dialogue.
Way too many stereotypes are addressed in this movie. In the first scene the white men watching over the black railroad workers bother the workers for a song, like back in the days they used to be slaves. They sing "I Get a Kick Outta You", to the white men's dismay, but the men request "The Camp Town Lady". The workers are apparently unfamiliar with the song, but in the white men's excitement, they start to sing in dance. Mel Brooks switched it. He made the white men look like idiots, because they like the songs better than the blacks do. Enough so to distract from their usual bigotry and get them in trouble for slacking off. Nothing is untouchable in this movie, sexual stereotypes, intelligence stereotypes, income stereotypes, etc. Maybe in this blog credit is only given to how blacks are shown in the movie, but all races are fair game in the director's lens of Mel Brooks.
The way blacks are portrayed in this movie as if the blacks of the 1970s, when the movie was filmed, were dropped a hundred years in the past, when the movie takes place. The do understand and seem to accept the way that race relations are during this time period, but the way they interact with each other, is completely out of the time period. There are high-fives and black power signs every once in a while shared between the railroad workers. Sheriff Bart, the protagonist, is the black sheriff made to protect the town. Much like Shaft, he is cool, likable and able to handle any situation; a positively projected protagonist that is a black man. The big difference is that Sheriff Bart is just about the only black character in this movie.
This would be the third movie that the main black protagonist plays a police officer. I cannot come with any good reason for this. Maybe, it is just an easy way to make a good black character. I know that sounds a little bad, but this is a transitional period in the movie business. Viewers in America at the time period that movies like In the Heat of the Night are not going to accept characters like Virgil for no reason. Making the black character a policeman automatically places this character on the side of good. It also acts as an excuse for the character not to completely lash out against the slurs and other attacks directed at him, because the character is a police officer, he is on the side of order and justice and good. There has still yet to be a main black female character, I guess America is not quite ready yet. Next on the list is A Soldier's Story.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
close it yourself, Shitty
On Shaft:
There is an interesting comparison between Shaft and Sweetback. Both movies pioneered the genre of blaxploitation films, but one had much more commercial success. Shaft is simply a much better movie. The dialogue and the plot are clear, easy to follow and make sense. Shaft is funny, and even at times suspenseful. The characters are likable and the music is awesome. Sweetback is none of those things. Shaft is more relate-able than Sweetback; it is made in the style of movies in that time. Shaft is a gangster movie, with a little bit of romance and a lot of racial undertones, whereas Sweetback is just a semi-pornographic, boring movie. Enough about how much I did not like Sweetback and how much I enjoyed Shaft.
One important thing about Shaft is the character John Shaft himself. He is more than just likable, he is the coolest man ever. Shaft is the main character in this movie and he is black, this is not a movie full of black people either, there are main characters that are white, there is the Italian-mafia, and not all the black characters are good either. There is diversity, or at least relative diversity in the characters in the movie, and Shaft is still a likable, seemingly flawless, black, main character. This had not really been done in movies before. Sure, Sidney Poitier does play the main character in a bunch of movies, but when he does he is always the black character in a sea of white characters. Shaft is different.
Another comparison can be made between Shaft and In the Heat of the Night. The setting is completely different in the two movies, Shaft is in Harlem during the 70s, In the Heat of the Night is in Sparta, Mississippi during the 60s. But in both movies there are two cops, one black and one white, who are working together. A big part of what makes In the Heat of the Night such a great movie is the relationship between Virgil and Officer Gillespie. They both have a certain hate for each other, neither of them is blatant about it, but the viewer can tell. In the end they over come their prejudices in the search for the truth about the murder case they are partners on. The dialogue between Virgil and Gillespie is great, and there interactions are always interesting to watch. In Shaft John Shaft works with Lt. Vic Androzzi. Shaft keeps Vic in the closet about so many things, but Vic trusts Shaft for the most part. Race does play a part in Vic and Shaft's relationship, but in a different way than in Virgil and Gillespie's. Because Shaft is black he has inside information on a lot of the goings on in the Harlem gang scene. Vic recognizes this and gives Shaft a degree of independence, but the two still have quite the rapport.
There is an interesting comparison between Shaft and Sweetback. Both movies pioneered the genre of blaxploitation films, but one had much more commercial success. Shaft is simply a much better movie. The dialogue and the plot are clear, easy to follow and make sense. Shaft is funny, and even at times suspenseful. The characters are likable and the music is awesome. Sweetback is none of those things. Shaft is more relate-able than Sweetback; it is made in the style of movies in that time. Shaft is a gangster movie, with a little bit of romance and a lot of racial undertones, whereas Sweetback is just a semi-pornographic, boring movie. Enough about how much I did not like Sweetback and how much I enjoyed Shaft.
One important thing about Shaft is the character John Shaft himself. He is more than just likable, he is the coolest man ever. Shaft is the main character in this movie and he is black, this is not a movie full of black people either, there are main characters that are white, there is the Italian-mafia, and not all the black characters are good either. There is diversity, or at least relative diversity in the characters in the movie, and Shaft is still a likable, seemingly flawless, black, main character. This had not really been done in movies before. Sure, Sidney Poitier does play the main character in a bunch of movies, but when he does he is always the black character in a sea of white characters. Shaft is different.
Another comparison can be made between Shaft and In the Heat of the Night. The setting is completely different in the two movies, Shaft is in Harlem during the 70s, In the Heat of the Night is in Sparta, Mississippi during the 60s. But in both movies there are two cops, one black and one white, who are working together. A big part of what makes In the Heat of the Night such a great movie is the relationship between Virgil and Officer Gillespie. They both have a certain hate for each other, neither of them is blatant about it, but the viewer can tell. In the end they over come their prejudices in the search for the truth about the murder case they are partners on. The dialogue between Virgil and Gillespie is great, and there interactions are always interesting to watch. In Shaft John Shaft works with Lt. Vic Androzzi. Shaft keeps Vic in the closet about so many things, but Vic trusts Shaft for the most part. Race does play a part in Vic and Shaft's relationship, but in a different way than in Virgil and Gillespie's. Because Shaft is black he has inside information on a lot of the goings on in the Harlem gang scene. Vic recognizes this and gives Shaft a degree of independence, but the two still have quite the rapport.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
this film is dedicated to all the brothers and sisters who had enough of the man
On Sweet Sweetback's Baadassssss Song:
There are so many things wrong with this movie. The shock-value aspects of this movie were pushed way too far with nudity and violence in every other scene. The 'plot' was almost impossible to follow. There was no flow to the dialogue. The actors were sub-par, the directorial techniques used were confusing and the soundtrack was distracting. The production quality was horrible. This movie did not make sense. Which calls the question: why would this movie ever be considered significant? Going in to this movie, basically what I knew about it was that it was a) X-Rated and b) considered the first ever blaxploitation film, beating out Shaft by a nose, which came out later that year in 1971. I came to learn that was once the most successful independent film in history even though it opened in only two theaters in America. What made it such a (relatively) high grossing film and also so significant, is the fact that it is the first real blaxploitation film. The first movie made by black people, for black people, about black people, starring black people. While Shaft was much more successful, and it may be assumed that Shaft was in production before Sweetback, which was made in three weeks, Sweetback was still the first of its kind. This movie represents a movement of films that has become a cultural staple in the movie-business.
So many stereotypes are shown in this movie. All and every sexual stereotype about blacks was completely exposed and exploited in this film. It is never really made clear why Sweetback is running from the Man, but it is made sure that Whitey is going after Sweetback. The white cops are the only white characters in this movie and they are shown beating up blacks for no reason, torturing blacks for information, letting dogs on blacks and lying to blacks and there is never a reason established formally for any of this. Sweetback is in the right because he is running from the oppression of the Man.
I am glad that I watched this movie. This movie highlighted a symbol that is used in almost all of the movies I have watched for this project and many more in my recollections. Running. Literally the entire movie Sweetback is running from the cops. Literally running. Sweetback runs with his own two legs all the way from Los Angeles to the Mexican border. So many scenes are just Sweetback running with Earth, Wind and Fire playing in the background, and the first thing that it reminded me of is Roots. In Roots Kunta Kinte repeatedly runs from the plantation and away from his slavery. Every opportunity he gets, Kunta runs and doesn't stop until he is caught. Running was an integral part of Kunta's life in Africa before he was dragged away from his camp and in his life in America Kunta runs for his freedom. In Sweetback, Sweetback runs for his freedom also. As the repetitive lyrics to the soundtrack beat into the brains of the viewer during the running sequences, Sweetback has two legs that won't fail him. Kunta winds up in the unfortunate predicament of being punished for his repeated attempt at running away, so the slave masters chop his foot off. After that moment, Kunta himself will never be truly free, because he cannot run. He never earns his freedom like Sweetback does by running to Mexico.
There was running in In the Heat of the Night, such as in the scene were Virgil is being chased by the bigots. There was running in No Way Out during the gang war scene. It keeps showing up and I believe it will keep making sense. I hope that I at least get this one thing out of Sweetback. Next on the list is Shaft.
There are so many things wrong with this movie. The shock-value aspects of this movie were pushed way too far with nudity and violence in every other scene. The 'plot' was almost impossible to follow. There was no flow to the dialogue. The actors were sub-par, the directorial techniques used were confusing and the soundtrack was distracting. The production quality was horrible. This movie did not make sense. Which calls the question: why would this movie ever be considered significant? Going in to this movie, basically what I knew about it was that it was a) X-Rated and b) considered the first ever blaxploitation film, beating out Shaft by a nose, which came out later that year in 1971. I came to learn that was once the most successful independent film in history even though it opened in only two theaters in America. What made it such a (relatively) high grossing film and also so significant, is the fact that it is the first real blaxploitation film. The first movie made by black people, for black people, about black people, starring black people. While Shaft was much more successful, and it may be assumed that Shaft was in production before Sweetback, which was made in three weeks, Sweetback was still the first of its kind. This movie represents a movement of films that has become a cultural staple in the movie-business.
So many stereotypes are shown in this movie. All and every sexual stereotype about blacks was completely exposed and exploited in this film. It is never really made clear why Sweetback is running from the Man, but it is made sure that Whitey is going after Sweetback. The white cops are the only white characters in this movie and they are shown beating up blacks for no reason, torturing blacks for information, letting dogs on blacks and lying to blacks and there is never a reason established formally for any of this. Sweetback is in the right because he is running from the oppression of the Man.
I am glad that I watched this movie. This movie highlighted a symbol that is used in almost all of the movies I have watched for this project and many more in my recollections. Running. Literally the entire movie Sweetback is running from the cops. Literally running. Sweetback runs with his own two legs all the way from Los Angeles to the Mexican border. So many scenes are just Sweetback running with Earth, Wind and Fire playing in the background, and the first thing that it reminded me of is Roots. In Roots Kunta Kinte repeatedly runs from the plantation and away from his slavery. Every opportunity he gets, Kunta runs and doesn't stop until he is caught. Running was an integral part of Kunta's life in Africa before he was dragged away from his camp and in his life in America Kunta runs for his freedom. In Sweetback, Sweetback runs for his freedom also. As the repetitive lyrics to the soundtrack beat into the brains of the viewer during the running sequences, Sweetback has two legs that won't fail him. Kunta winds up in the unfortunate predicament of being punished for his repeated attempt at running away, so the slave masters chop his foot off. After that moment, Kunta himself will never be truly free, because he cannot run. He never earns his freedom like Sweetback does by running to Mexico.
There was running in In the Heat of the Night, such as in the scene were Virgil is being chased by the bigots. There was running in No Way Out during the gang war scene. It keeps showing up and I believe it will keep making sense. I hope that I at least get this one thing out of Sweetback. Next on the list is Shaft.
Friday, May 28, 2010
they call me MISTER tibbs
A different kind of slur is used in this movie. 'Boy', may not seem like the most insulting thing to be called, but when as a fully grown man everybody you meet in Sparta, Mississippi refers to you as a boy, that is something else. As Virgil points out, in Philadelphia, they call him Mr. Tibbs.
Sidney Poitier plays, yet again, the same character as he always does. Virgil Tibbs is a police officer and highly qualified homicide expert, but in Sparta, Mississippi he has no respect from strangers and everyone seems to hate him. The fact is, he got pulled into jail for no reason other than being black in the first place. But throughout the whole movie, for the most part, Virgil Tibbs endures all the slurs and all the abuse and manages to come out on top. Virgil, much like Dr. Brooks, has a thick, black skin. And just like Dr. Brooks, there is a point where Virgil snaps and acts unlike himself. In In the Heat of the Night, when slapped by Mr. Endicott for the accusations made against him, Virgil slaps him back. This could have gotten him killed, in fact, it almost did. Officer Gillespie could have killed him and made it look like self defense. The bigots chasing after Virgil probably would have killed him had Officer Gillespie not intervened. Soon after, Virgil composes himself, he realizes that he was letting his prejudices get the better of him, and that Endicott is not the killer at all. And in the end, Virgil is triumphant in finding the killer.
What is it that makes this Sidney Poitier character that keeps reappearing a great character. Obviously, he is a great man, and he does what he believes in, and one could even argue that he is a hero, for example for bringing justice to the murderer. But that is not all, in this movie, Virgil has the world working against him. Not only does he have so much adversity to over come, but all the hate in his way is for reasons out of his control. It is because of the color of his skin. And Virgil does not obsess over that like so many other black people in these movies, like Lefty in No Way Out who calls the question, "isn't it asking a lot to be better than them, when we get killed for trying to be as good". Virgil knows how little he can do about things like that, like other people's prejudices, and he goes on doing what he needs to do.
The word 'nigger' is only used a few times in this movie. The only scene it stands out in is the scene were Virgil has been chased down by the four white men and Officer Gillespie comes to his rescue. Once Officer Gillespie breaks up the brawl one of the white men calls him, 'nigger-lover'. Of course, Gillespie has a reaction and roughs up the men and sends them on their way. I think that this is a tasteful way to use the word 'nigger' in a movie. The word is not thrown around, and that also makes it all the more dramatic when it is used. It is shocking to hear the phrase 'nigger-lover' come out of a man's mouth, especially directed at a police officer. It is most apparent in this scene that Officer Gillespie is finally putting his prejudices aside to do the right thing. This quality about Officer Gillespie is reiterated in the final scene in his parting words to Virgil, "Take care, y'hear". Probably about the most kindest that the man could muster up, especially to a black man.
The reason that i had no post yesterday is because netflix was a bit tardy on their delivering me the movie. This means that I will be watching another movie tonight though: Sweet Sweetback's Baadassssss Song
Sidney Poitier plays, yet again, the same character as he always does. Virgil Tibbs is a police officer and highly qualified homicide expert, but in Sparta, Mississippi he has no respect from strangers and everyone seems to hate him. The fact is, he got pulled into jail for no reason other than being black in the first place. But throughout the whole movie, for the most part, Virgil Tibbs endures all the slurs and all the abuse and manages to come out on top. Virgil, much like Dr. Brooks, has a thick, black skin. And just like Dr. Brooks, there is a point where Virgil snaps and acts unlike himself. In In the Heat of the Night, when slapped by Mr. Endicott for the accusations made against him, Virgil slaps him back. This could have gotten him killed, in fact, it almost did. Officer Gillespie could have killed him and made it look like self defense. The bigots chasing after Virgil probably would have killed him had Officer Gillespie not intervened. Soon after, Virgil composes himself, he realizes that he was letting his prejudices get the better of him, and that Endicott is not the killer at all. And in the end, Virgil is triumphant in finding the killer.
What is it that makes this Sidney Poitier character that keeps reappearing a great character. Obviously, he is a great man, and he does what he believes in, and one could even argue that he is a hero, for example for bringing justice to the murderer. But that is not all, in this movie, Virgil has the world working against him. Not only does he have so much adversity to over come, but all the hate in his way is for reasons out of his control. It is because of the color of his skin. And Virgil does not obsess over that like so many other black people in these movies, like Lefty in No Way Out who calls the question, "isn't it asking a lot to be better than them, when we get killed for trying to be as good". Virgil knows how little he can do about things like that, like other people's prejudices, and he goes on doing what he needs to do.
The word 'nigger' is only used a few times in this movie. The only scene it stands out in is the scene were Virgil has been chased down by the four white men and Officer Gillespie comes to his rescue. Once Officer Gillespie breaks up the brawl one of the white men calls him, 'nigger-lover'. Of course, Gillespie has a reaction and roughs up the men and sends them on their way. I think that this is a tasteful way to use the word 'nigger' in a movie. The word is not thrown around, and that also makes it all the more dramatic when it is used. It is shocking to hear the phrase 'nigger-lover' come out of a man's mouth, especially directed at a police officer. It is most apparent in this scene that Officer Gillespie is finally putting his prejudices aside to do the right thing. This quality about Officer Gillespie is reiterated in the final scene in his parting words to Virgil, "Take care, y'hear". Probably about the most kindest that the man could muster up, especially to a black man.
The reason that i had no post yesterday is because netflix was a bit tardy on their delivering me the movie. This means that I will be watching another movie tonight though: Sweet Sweetback's Baadassssss Song
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
you think of yourself as a colored man. I think of myself as a man.
Color-blindness was a big idea in this movie. Multiple times it was referred to. Mr. Drayton when talking about his daughter said that she saw John as just a man, not a colored man. Given, it is implied that all parties involved understand the difficulties that come with an inter-racial marriage. The quote that I started this post out with even explains that John identifies differently than his father, a man of a different generation. John goes on to elaborate that a marriage like the one that he wants will not be accepted by society until his fathers generation is long dead. Is a colorblind society really the future we are moving towards? No. After all, isn't the point of these movies I am watching for my senior project to observe and record the differences between races, the good and the bad, and make a commentary on the, make a movie out of it. Isn't that what culture really is? I think so, that is kind of the point of my project, a cultural view of race. In a colorblind society, it seems to me like there might not be any culture to view on race.
The moral of the story that is this movie is more so about love than race. Race is used to create an example of two 'star-crossed' lovers, with a world of hate between them. There is a reason for these two lovers not to be together, and its not just the hate that the two lovers would have to face and all the ostracizing, their families will endure their difficulties too, and there children will as well, being the offspring of two different colors. The lovers are ready to face that, but the parents do not approve. They think that the lovers do not know what they are getting into. But they do. Only when Mr. Drayton realizes the love that he and his wife have and have had, and how much that means, does he realize that it is unfair to deprive something, even half that, to anyone else. Race is used more as a tool for storytelling in this movie than anything else, but there are still a lot of interesting observations to be made.
There is a character that keeps reappearing in the movies I am watching for this project. No, it is not the same character that Sidney Poitier plays in every movie (a well educated, respectable black man, that no white person should hate or be afraid of), but the black, mammy-esque house maid. She has appeared in every movie I have watched so far, sassy, motherly, black house maid. In this movie Tillie repeatedly confronts John about his relationship to Joanna. She questions his motives, accuses him of betraying his race and goes to great lengths to give him sass in attempts to protect her, basically, daughter. Tillie is also apparently a whiz in the kitchen and can easily take care of the Drayton family's ridiculous requests in the eleventh hour, regarding dinner plans, and is well educated on the latest family gossip. Next on the list is In The Heat of The Night
The moral of the story that is this movie is more so about love than race. Race is used to create an example of two 'star-crossed' lovers, with a world of hate between them. There is a reason for these two lovers not to be together, and its not just the hate that the two lovers would have to face and all the ostracizing, their families will endure their difficulties too, and there children will as well, being the offspring of two different colors. The lovers are ready to face that, but the parents do not approve. They think that the lovers do not know what they are getting into. But they do. Only when Mr. Drayton realizes the love that he and his wife have and have had, and how much that means, does he realize that it is unfair to deprive something, even half that, to anyone else. Race is used more as a tool for storytelling in this movie than anything else, but there are still a lot of interesting observations to be made.
There is a character that keeps reappearing in the movies I am watching for this project. No, it is not the same character that Sidney Poitier plays in every movie (a well educated, respectable black man, that no white person should hate or be afraid of), but the black, mammy-esque house maid. She has appeared in every movie I have watched so far, sassy, motherly, black house maid. In this movie Tillie repeatedly confronts John about his relationship to Joanna. She questions his motives, accuses him of betraying his race and goes to great lengths to give him sass in attempts to protect her, basically, daughter. Tillie is also apparently a whiz in the kitchen and can easily take care of the Drayton family's ridiculous requests in the eleventh hour, regarding dinner plans, and is well educated on the latest family gossip. Next on the list is In The Heat of The Night
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
it's asking a lot to be better than them when we get killed for trying to be as good
For me, that quote pretty much sums up No Way Out.
This movie establishes a few interesting perspectives on race. The position taken by Dr. Wharton and Dr. Brooks is that blacks should be treated no differently than whites. Dr. Brooks as a doctor should be treated the same as anyone else, regardless of his race. As Dr. Wharton puts it, he shouldn't have to hire some rich, white doctor that is not qualified or not give the job to a qualified doctor because he is black. This position is too idealistic for the world of the 1950s though, as is highlighted by Ray Biddle, who hates Dr. Brooks because he is black. He also accuses Br. Brooks for murdering his brother for a decision that any reasonable doctor may have made that resulted in his brother's death. Ray Biddle uses his brother's death as a reason to hate Dr. Brooks, even though in reality he is a bigot, as is expressed when Ray Biddle says that he does not think that he or his brother (or anyone for that matter) should be treated by a black doctor. Bigotry is so deeply rooted in people of this position that Ray Biddle even goes to the length of framing Dr. Brooks of stealing a scalpel just to make life a little harder for Dr. Brooks. The third and less obvious position shown in this movie is that of Dr. Sam Moreland, the Chief of Medicine. Dr. Moreland likes having Dr. Brooks in his hospital and acknowledges the fact that he is a capable doctor, but he wants him in his hospital because it fills a quota. The only concern that Dr. Moreland has with the situation between Dr. Brooks and Ray Biddle is that it is bad press, and Dr. Moreland does not permit the autopsy on ray Biddle's brother because it may lead to unwanted press. All three of these positions are real positions that were around during the time period in which the movie was made.
One thing to keep in mind when watching this movie is that it was made in 1950. That was before the Civil Rights movement, before MLK, before Rosa Parks on the bus. There were still people in the world like Dr. Brooks and Dr. Wharton, who think that people of all race should be treated equally, but there were also people like Ray Biddle and these people had a lot more power. Not only is the hate and bigotry of people like Ray Biddle a powerful force of anger, but that force is reciprocated on the other side of the spectrum. As Lefty, the elevator man put is to Dr. Brooks, "it's asking a lot to be better than them when we get killed for trying to be as good". Ray Biddle is oppressing Dr. Brooks for trying to be as good as any other white doctor, and is even going to a length to try and get Dr. Brooks killed. Dr. Brooks does protest the hate between the two races, but Lefty tells Dr. Brooks that he is not in the wrong, he should not have to go to great length make Ray Biddle believe that he is innocent of the accusations made against him and that he was just being a doctor and trying to save Ray Biddle's brother. In fact, it is asking a lot, too much even.
The resilient Dr. Brooks does eventually snap when a white woman spits in his face for trying to help her son. But, this snapping leads to Dr. Brooks doing something profound. He confesses to the murder of Ray Biddle's brother. Of course, Dr. Brooks is innocent as is revealed by the mandatory criminal autopsy, but even this is not enough for the hate and prejudice of Ray Biddle. In the end, Ray Biddle gets his just desserts and is sent to jail and half bleeds to death from his reopened gunshot wound.
The use of the word 'nigger' in this movie is completely different than that of The Birth of a Nation. Ray Biddle repeatedly calls Dr. Brooks by a variety of racial slurs, including 'nigger'. As Dr. Brooks puts it, he has developed a 'thick, black skin' over the years. This implies that racism is rampant and that in the 1950s, slurs were used by whites towards blacks in a hateful way. Ray is the only main character to actually call a black person a 'nigger' in the movie, which suggests that it is only used by bigots in a derogatory fashion. Already, from the first to the second movie, I have noticed an evolution in the culture and race relations of the times. Given, I made a 35 year jump, a lot has changed. Next on the list is another Sidney Poitier movie: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
This movie establishes a few interesting perspectives on race. The position taken by Dr. Wharton and Dr. Brooks is that blacks should be treated no differently than whites. Dr. Brooks as a doctor should be treated the same as anyone else, regardless of his race. As Dr. Wharton puts it, he shouldn't have to hire some rich, white doctor that is not qualified or not give the job to a qualified doctor because he is black. This position is too idealistic for the world of the 1950s though, as is highlighted by Ray Biddle, who hates Dr. Brooks because he is black. He also accuses Br. Brooks for murdering his brother for a decision that any reasonable doctor may have made that resulted in his brother's death. Ray Biddle uses his brother's death as a reason to hate Dr. Brooks, even though in reality he is a bigot, as is expressed when Ray Biddle says that he does not think that he or his brother (or anyone for that matter) should be treated by a black doctor. Bigotry is so deeply rooted in people of this position that Ray Biddle even goes to the length of framing Dr. Brooks of stealing a scalpel just to make life a little harder for Dr. Brooks. The third and less obvious position shown in this movie is that of Dr. Sam Moreland, the Chief of Medicine. Dr. Moreland likes having Dr. Brooks in his hospital and acknowledges the fact that he is a capable doctor, but he wants him in his hospital because it fills a quota. The only concern that Dr. Moreland has with the situation between Dr. Brooks and Ray Biddle is that it is bad press, and Dr. Moreland does not permit the autopsy on ray Biddle's brother because it may lead to unwanted press. All three of these positions are real positions that were around during the time period in which the movie was made.
One thing to keep in mind when watching this movie is that it was made in 1950. That was before the Civil Rights movement, before MLK, before Rosa Parks on the bus. There were still people in the world like Dr. Brooks and Dr. Wharton, who think that people of all race should be treated equally, but there were also people like Ray Biddle and these people had a lot more power. Not only is the hate and bigotry of people like Ray Biddle a powerful force of anger, but that force is reciprocated on the other side of the spectrum. As Lefty, the elevator man put is to Dr. Brooks, "it's asking a lot to be better than them when we get killed for trying to be as good". Ray Biddle is oppressing Dr. Brooks for trying to be as good as any other white doctor, and is even going to a length to try and get Dr. Brooks killed. Dr. Brooks does protest the hate between the two races, but Lefty tells Dr. Brooks that he is not in the wrong, he should not have to go to great length make Ray Biddle believe that he is innocent of the accusations made against him and that he was just being a doctor and trying to save Ray Biddle's brother. In fact, it is asking a lot, too much even.
The resilient Dr. Brooks does eventually snap when a white woman spits in his face for trying to help her son. But, this snapping leads to Dr. Brooks doing something profound. He confesses to the murder of Ray Biddle's brother. Of course, Dr. Brooks is innocent as is revealed by the mandatory criminal autopsy, but even this is not enough for the hate and prejudice of Ray Biddle. In the end, Ray Biddle gets his just desserts and is sent to jail and half bleeds to death from his reopened gunshot wound.
The use of the word 'nigger' in this movie is completely different than that of The Birth of a Nation. Ray Biddle repeatedly calls Dr. Brooks by a variety of racial slurs, including 'nigger'. As Dr. Brooks puts it, he has developed a 'thick, black skin' over the years. This implies that racism is rampant and that in the 1950s, slurs were used by whites towards blacks in a hateful way. Ray is the only main character to actually call a black person a 'nigger' in the movie, which suggests that it is only used by bigots in a derogatory fashion. Already, from the first to the second movie, I have noticed an evolution in the culture and race relations of the times. Given, I made a 35 year jump, a lot has changed. Next on the list is another Sidney Poitier movie: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
Sic Semper Tyrannis
So last night I watched The Birth of a Nation, and it was more like the Slow, slow Death of a Nation. I had grossly underestimated the painfulness that is watching a three-hour long silent film. While it may have been extremely boring at most parts to me, I have done some research as to why this film is deemed to be one of the most significant movies ever. Apparently a lot of the camera techniques that I find usual and average by today's standards were pioneered in this movie, these techniques being: facial close-ups and deep focus (using lenses of smaller apertures to focus on one part of the scene). It is fascinating to me, that techniques like these, that are now staples in the motion picture industry were premiered in a movie like this.
What I mean by, 'a movie like this' is: one of the most controversial films of all time and one of the highest gross films for its time. After watching the movie I can see why both of those things are true.
No matter what time period it is, now or a hundred years ago, black-face is offensive. As far as i could tell, at least most of the blacks portrayed in this movie were whites in black-face. In addition to that, the dialogue of the blacks is a bizarre, butchered English. Given, it is a silent-film, none of the dialogue was actually spoken, paragraphs of quotes occasionally are shown on the screen, for example: "Dem free-niggers f'um de N'of am sho' crazy", which is a quote from the Cameron family's house servant when introduced to the Stoneman's. Also, as is made apparent by the quote I just cited, the word 'nigger' is used in this play. I am sure that it will be in a significant amount of the movies I watch over the next three weeks, and I was sure that this movie would be no exception, but I was surprised by the context. The only time i can distinctly remember the word 'nigger' ever being used was in cases like my example, were one black person was talking about the other. Having said that, white people in the movie did still use the dated term 'negro', but I am sure that was not the only this that blacks were refered to by whites a hundred years ago. Maybe D.W. Griffith omitted the word in that context on purpose, in hopes of a positive reception.
In the entire first half of the movie the only way that blacks are portrayed is by either dancing around or working in cotton fields. Literally, only those two things. The blacks in the movie play a much bigger part in the second half which is about the Reconstruction. According to the movie at least, the blacks gained voting power and oppressed the whites by bullying them out of their votes to get a "mullato" representative. There is a scene where congress is shown to be predominately black, and this was possibly the most offensive scene in the movie. Basically, all the black representatives are drinking, eating or dancing during this session of congress. At one point, one of the black representatives takes his boot off to itch his foot, and the speaker of the house rules that shoes must be worn. Not only do I not think that the political oppression of the whites from the blacks shown in this movie is historically accurate, but it is full of offensive stereo-typing. Blacks are also shown terrorizing the town and breaking into the Cameron house, raiding the cabin that Dr. Cameron has found refuge in and chasing after the Cameron daughter in attempts to find a newly legal inter-racial marriage. Just as all these horrible things are about to happen, the Cameron's killed, married off, or worse, the Clan comes riding in on horses to save the day and are shown as the heroes. While Ben Cameron is shown to be a flawed character, he hunts down the black man, Gus, that leads his little sister to kill herself, and presumably lynches him with the rest of his clansmen, he is made out to be a sort of romantic anti-hero. The Cameron family is destroyed by the Civil War and is further ruined and torn apart by the rising power of the blacks during Reconstruction, so Ben Cameron's actions and forming of the KKK is justified apparently and the Clan will go on to rebuild the White Empire of the South.
On the other hand this movie did pioneer many popular film techniques as I already explained. It was also one of the earliest full-length feature films. Despite its content, the film did have a good story. Even though it was mostly Aryan propaganda the story had romance, action and revenge. There was a rising action, falling action and climax. A lot of the writing in the movie was honestly poetic, even if the meaning was not, the words used were poetic. It was a well written movie, and it will continue to be watched because of that and because of its controversial content. While I may not have been the happiest camper watching the movie, I am glad I watched it. Today I will be watching No Way Out.
What I mean by, 'a movie like this' is: one of the most controversial films of all time and one of the highest gross films for its time. After watching the movie I can see why both of those things are true.
No matter what time period it is, now or a hundred years ago, black-face is offensive. As far as i could tell, at least most of the blacks portrayed in this movie were whites in black-face. In addition to that, the dialogue of the blacks is a bizarre, butchered English. Given, it is a silent-film, none of the dialogue was actually spoken, paragraphs of quotes occasionally are shown on the screen, for example: "Dem free-niggers f'um de N'of am sho' crazy", which is a quote from the Cameron family's house servant when introduced to the Stoneman's. Also, as is made apparent by the quote I just cited, the word 'nigger' is used in this play. I am sure that it will be in a significant amount of the movies I watch over the next three weeks, and I was sure that this movie would be no exception, but I was surprised by the context. The only time i can distinctly remember the word 'nigger' ever being used was in cases like my example, were one black person was talking about the other. Having said that, white people in the movie did still use the dated term 'negro', but I am sure that was not the only this that blacks were refered to by whites a hundred years ago. Maybe D.W. Griffith omitted the word in that context on purpose, in hopes of a positive reception.
In the entire first half of the movie the only way that blacks are portrayed is by either dancing around or working in cotton fields. Literally, only those two things. The blacks in the movie play a much bigger part in the second half which is about the Reconstruction. According to the movie at least, the blacks gained voting power and oppressed the whites by bullying them out of their votes to get a "mullato" representative. There is a scene where congress is shown to be predominately black, and this was possibly the most offensive scene in the movie. Basically, all the black representatives are drinking, eating or dancing during this session of congress. At one point, one of the black representatives takes his boot off to itch his foot, and the speaker of the house rules that shoes must be worn. Not only do I not think that the political oppression of the whites from the blacks shown in this movie is historically accurate, but it is full of offensive stereo-typing. Blacks are also shown terrorizing the town and breaking into the Cameron house, raiding the cabin that Dr. Cameron has found refuge in and chasing after the Cameron daughter in attempts to find a newly legal inter-racial marriage. Just as all these horrible things are about to happen, the Cameron's killed, married off, or worse, the Clan comes riding in on horses to save the day and are shown as the heroes. While Ben Cameron is shown to be a flawed character, he hunts down the black man, Gus, that leads his little sister to kill herself, and presumably lynches him with the rest of his clansmen, he is made out to be a sort of romantic anti-hero. The Cameron family is destroyed by the Civil War and is further ruined and torn apart by the rising power of the blacks during Reconstruction, so Ben Cameron's actions and forming of the KKK is justified apparently and the Clan will go on to rebuild the White Empire of the South.
On the other hand this movie did pioneer many popular film techniques as I already explained. It was also one of the earliest full-length feature films. Despite its content, the film did have a good story. Even though it was mostly Aryan propaganda the story had romance, action and revenge. There was a rising action, falling action and climax. A lot of the writing in the movie was honestly poetic, even if the meaning was not, the words used were poetic. It was a well written movie, and it will continue to be watched because of that and because of its controversial content. While I may not have been the happiest camper watching the movie, I am glad I watched it. Today I will be watching No Way Out.
Monday, May 24, 2010
introduction
I am a high-school senior at H B Woodlawn. Every year, seniors at my school get a three week block of time designated for "senior projects". A senior project is supposed to me a time where as a senior you can pursue and study something that interests you outside of what you would be otherwise learning in school. After a little bit of thinking about what interests me and what i would like to learn more about or at least study more I came up with something: film. I am a big movie buff and an avid film watcher and I have more of an interest in film as a method of storytelling than most other things. So at this point I had the broad topic of film. I got to thinking about what movies I would want to watch and write about and a lot of the great movies I have seen that came to mind were about race. Race relations, racism and the cultural implications of race are some of the heaviest topics regularly displayed on the big screen. Once I had gotten to this point in my senior project decision making I decided i needed a little more focus to my project and decided to focus on blacks in America.
Over the next 21 days I will be watching 21 movies about blacks in America. The movies come in all genres and all across the spectrum of seriousness, but they all focus on the history and culture of blacks in America. The list of movies i have developed also spans over about one hundred years and I plan to watch in chronological order. The first movie I will watch, which I plan to post a response to later today, is The Birth of a Nation.
Over the next 21 days I will be watching 21 movies about blacks in America. The movies come in all genres and all across the spectrum of seriousness, but they all focus on the history and culture of blacks in America. The list of movies i have developed also spans over about one hundred years and I plan to watch in chronological order. The first movie I will watch, which I plan to post a response to later today, is The Birth of a Nation.
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