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.