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.