My Black Film

I had considered the type of Black film I'd like to see and create long before I realized it was a Black film I was thinking of. I was both inspired by and fascinated with the Movie Love & Basketball, as well as the novel The Coldest Winter Ever. I can not think of what I would call the film because I have not completed the script; however, I know that the film would be a love story chronicling the life of a Black women from adolescence to adulthood.

The major difference between this film and other Black love stories, is that the main character is a Black nationalist. I want to discuss Black issues and cultural practices in a way that they have never been discussed before. I feel that cookouts are a major aspect of Black culture. I contend that there is a major difference between a cookout and a barbecue. In my experiences, white people use the word barbecue and Black people use the word cookout. Words are powerful, though the difference in words may seem menial, I contend that the difference in names reflect that the experiences are vastly different. In my film, I want the importance of cookouts in the Black community to be highlighted.

In the film, I will use clothing, as well as other types of imagery to express ideologies that are important to the protagonist. For instance, the setting of the play will be at a cookout out. I will make sure to emphasize the smoke coming from the grill, food, dialogue, as well as the dancing. Next the camera will focus on the main character, The main character will be wearing a black shirt with the words addicted to Black written in white letters. She will be talking to her two best friends who are sisters.

At the cookout, she'll meet a young man who she's interested in. I want to explore how difference of opinions 'about consciousness and Pan Africanism can causes divisions within the Black community. Some of her friends, and even her love interest, won't be able to understand many of her Black nationalist feelings.  Often times, movies dealing with racial issues in the Black community are primarily focused on how it impacts Black men. Black men are always considered to be the biggest targets of discrimination, while the plight of Black women goes unnoticed. In my Black film, I would explore how it feels to be a pro black individual in an environment that conditions people to feel as if such feelings are a defect. The film will focus more on what is means to be an African American in the 21st century than romance; however, Black love is a major aspect of the African American experience.

In many movies, when Black characters want their children to marry Black, there are often demonized and it is inferred that they are completely irrational. An issue that has not been tackled are the misconception and biases between African Americans, Caribbean people and Africans.

Tupac Resurrection

The film Tupac Resurrection offers an in-depth look at the inner thoughts of Tupac Shakur. I enjoyed the film because Tupac Shakur is one of my favorite artist. Tupac was more than an artist. He is a revolutionary figure. Tupac became the face of a new generation of Blacks. In the film, Tupac points out that he is misunderstood. One of the points that resonates with me is that many people feel that rappers are glorifying street life. Tupac says that the people who become attracted to street life and begin to think that its cool are not his target audience. He is targeting people who are actively involved in street life  and understand the struggle that he is speaking about.

Also, many people do not realize that THUG LIFE was actually an acronym. The term stands for The Hate You Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody. After the rebellion in Baltimore, there was a great deal of controversy surrounding Mayor Rawlings and President Obama's decision to call the youth who protested in Baltimore thugs. A news anchor pointed out that Tupac had a tattoo that said thug life. It was cleat that she didn't know what thug life meant or what Tupac stood for.

One of the most interesting things about Tupac is that he was very contradictory. He represented the west coast despite being from the east. Moreover, he promoted peace within the Black community, yet he kept the beef going between him and Biggie. At the time of his death, he was still very young. Had he lived, I believed he would have had a thriving acting career, as well as continuing to be a prolific artist.

Tsotsi

Upon viewing the film Tsotsi, the first thing that struck me was the accent of the characters. The movie is set in South Africa; however, the accent, as well as the way that the characters pronounced English words was very similar to a Caribbean accent. I am very interested in linguistics and the similarities between the pronunciation of words among Africans and members of the African diaspora.

I feel that I could relate to the characters. Tsotsi was exposed to violence in his household from an early age. Violence and chaos was normal to Tsotsi; furthermore, he had to learn how to survive on his own after he ran away from home. He did not have a chance to be a child. He had to support his self by whatever means he could.

Tsotsi is a complex character. He wants to improve his circumstance; however, it seems that he does not have the proper means. Also, it seemed that he resented his friend Boston, who he also refers to as Teacher boy. Boston could not stomach it when Butcher killed the man on the train. It is clear that he is not like his friends. He feels that he is a decent person and wants to lead a decent life; however, his alcoholism and lack of confidence hold him back. It can be surmised that Boston's education makes Tsotsi uncomfortable.

After Tsotsi decides to keep the baby it is clear that he wants love. He becomes extremely attached to the baby over a short period of time. When it is time for him to give the baby up, it is difficult for him to let the baby go. It is clear that he will be going to jail, the ending still leaves many unanswered questions such as: how long his prison term will be and will he keep in touch with the young mother that he met.

A Prophet

The film chronicles the life of Malik Djebena, a 19 year old man who has received a six year prison sentence. One of the most important themes in the movie is the importance of reading. When Malik learns to read, he gains confidence and he begins to strategize and outsmart the Corsicans. Malik is both Corsican and Arab. His mixed heritage makes him an important asset to the Corsicans. Also, his ability to speak Corsican and Arabic makes him unique and gives him power. The film A Prophet is important because it sheds light on cultures that are often not examined in the film industry.

Prior to seeing the film, I had never heard of Corsican. The relationship between the Arabs and the Corsicans is very relatable although the film is not filmed in America or meant to depict an American prison system. In American prisons, people generally bond together with people of their race. It is clear that racism is a universal issue. I don't feel that sticking together with people from your ethnic background is racist; however, if the main goal of you and your group is to harm people of other races, that is racist. Malik is looked down upon by the Corsicans because he is Arab.

When Malik kills Hichem, there is a clear change in him. Cesar Luciani no longer has power over him. When he tries to get near Malik he is pushed away, and then punched in the stomach. At this money the shift in the power dynamic is apparent. Malik has risen to power.

One of the strong points of a prophet is that murder is not glorified. When Malik commits murders, it is very gory and messy. The experience is jarring for him. It is not clean and easy. One of the most interesting things about the last murder Malik commits is the temporary loss of hearing he experiences. Because he commits the murders in a car, the sound of the gun going off is deafening.

There are many elements in the film; race, violence and education are the most prevalent. Education allows Malik to outsmart his adversaries. At the end of the film Malik has risen above his previous struggles. He walks off with the wife of one of his good friends. I was confused about what the state of their relationship was as she told him that he could come live with her. At the end of the film it is clear that his station in life reversed completely. There are cars following him as he walks, making it clear that he is protected.

SLAM

The power of poetry has been explored in Black films such as Jason's Lyric and Love Jones; however, the role poetry plays in Slam is vastly different. In Slam, the main character Ray's mastery of poetry makes him a catalyst for change. The other characters admire Ray and at first, his non violent approach bewilders them.  The message of the movie is clear. Intellect transcends violence and can help decrease violence. Ray is able to change the mindset of the characters and make them realize that their violence is a never ending cycle.

A strong point of the movie is that there are no clear solutions at the end of the movie. The fate of Ray is unclear at the end of the movie. He has to return to jail but the audience does not know whether or not he will plead guilty and serve a lengthier sentence. The fact that the film does not have a happy ending is important. For the Black men in the jail system in D.C and throughout America, there are no easy solutions. The film shows that there is hope for things to change, but makes it clear that there is no easy fix.

Also, the film furthers the idea that people in tumultuous urban settings need the outlet of poetry. Poetry and rap are linked in the film as one in the same. In the film, Ray raps and recites poetry. In Slam poetry serves as more than a means to catch the attention of a love interest. It serves as a way for the main character to maintain his sanity. In the film, when Ray's love interest compares her past to his present circumstance it doesn't make much sense. She was addicted to drugs and  sold her body for drugs. Ray says, "Who was selling it to you?" and she says, "Right, who was selling it to me!" They are pretty much saying that he is a major part of the issue in their community. This did not make sense to me because Ray was selling weed. Weed has in no way ravished the Black community in the way that crack cocaine has. Ultimately, Slam is a powerful film that is so true to life that it seems like it is based on a true story.

Wattstax

     The film Wattstax was very innovative and cutting edge. The film is as difficult to categorize as it is unique. It covers the Watts Summer festival. Though the film is set in 1973, The issues discussed in the film are very relevant to the problems African Americans face in today's society. The only major difference between the film and present times was the music and clothing. In the film, African American residents in Los Angeles were asked about their experiences dealing with racism. Also, they were asked their thoughts about interracial dating, as well as Black love.In the 70's, soul, funk and disco were the major musical genres.  Today Rap and R&B are prominent among African Americans. In the film, everyone had an afro. Afro's had gone out of style and the afro became popularized again around 2011.

      I have always linked afro's to people who have somewhat revolutionary mindsets. Afro's were extremely popular at the height of the Black Power Movement. Today, the fight for equality continues and protesting and racial tension have heightened in America. During this time, the sale of perms have decreased drastically. The flashy clothing that the people wore in the film was also interesting. In many African cultures, particularly West African nations, much of the clothing is very bright and has unique and intricate designs and patterns. In the film, many people wore bright clothing with interesting design. It was interesting to see the parallels between Black American culture and African culture.

I also saw how influential Wattstax was for future Black films.  The film laid the ground work for other films centered around Black film festivals. In 2005, Dave Chappelle released the documentary Block Party. Like Wattstax, Block Party was also a success. In Block Party artists that are popular today such as Jill Scott, The Roots and Erykah Badu perfomed. What was interesting at both films is that they both had iconic performances. Though Wattstax is now more than three decades old, I was still able to identify some of the artist who performed. Also, the host Richard Pryor is still regarded as one of the best comedians of all time. The same could be said of Dave Chapelle.

How To Eat Your Watermelon in White Company and Enjoy It

The film How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company and Enjoy It is both informative and highly entertaining. Interestingly, the subject matter had little to do with the title; though Marvin Van Pebbles did give an anecdote about watermelon. How to Eat Your Watermelon also referenced the correlation between Marvin Pebbles film Sweet Sweetbacks Badass Song and the emergence of Blaxploitation films. Commentators posited that Blaxploitation films were fashioned after Sweet Sweetback; however, they lacked the content. White film directors continued to churn out films such as Superfly and Foxy Brown. Such films glorified negative stereotypical behavior and was not reflective of every day Black life. Perhaps the glorification of stereotypes is one of the distinctions between Black films and films that merely feature Black actors. The intent of producers and the impact of the film is a major factor in deciding if a film will be classified as a Black film.

Pebbles was very critical of Blaxploitation films.  When speaking of such films he said, "You didn't make a Black film. You made a White fantasy film you hoped Black people would take." In How to Eat Your Watermelon, Blaxploitation films were referred to as, "The bastard child of sweetback." Though the films glorified negative things such as selling drugs, it allowed Blacks to see themselves on the big screen; furthermore, Blacks were gaining acting roles.

Though Blaxploitation films are no longer being produced, such stereotypical roles still exist. Pebbles made it clear that Blacks in the film industry are responsible for making change. Actors must turn down roles that are stereotypical. I recently saw an interview that Denzel Washington did. He was discussing a role that he turned down for a character he referred to as, "the nigger who couldn't die". The character was put in the electric chair for raping a white woman; however, he didn't die. When Washington discussed his turning down the role, I had a new found respect for him. It is important that African Americans in the film industry are conscious of the type of projects they take on.