One of my close friends...a movie maker, a HEF vet...absolutely positively smashed this movie in his review of it. He saw it, and was repulsed beyond words. I haven't seen it, but rarely has he...[ our very own voodoochild, the genius behind
CV NATION
https://www.youtube.com/user/CVNATIONSERIESthat has its own thread on HEF ]...espoused a perspective that I have been diametrically opposed to.
Right away, that whole..."lemme rape the Mariah Carey wife in front of her hubby ,while hubby stops the son from jumping into action to save his mother, then turn around and shoot the daddy dead in front of his son, and let's have the older lady scoop up the boy and teach him how to be a wonderful House Nigger, then shuffle him along to learn House Nigger Jedi Skills from the older male House Nigger..." that line of storytelling displeased me right away. Historically accurate or not.
I don't see heroism in gritting your teeth and silently biting back screams of rage and unfettered actions of self defense while repeatedly being raped mentally and physically and degraded and humiliated every whichaway. It's at best a marvel of endurance and likely massive internal scarring from the subsequent emotional and mental mutilation that such treatment inflicts. Which perforce makes us bulid giant interior self defense and coping mechanisms just to endure our existence as Black people in the USA. But heroism? I honestly, honestly, don't see it.
Actually, this line of storytelling [ and again, I haven't even seen the movie yet so I reserve final judgement for after I've seen it and reflected upon it on my own], but just that line of storytelling...evoked a response in me that was reminiscent of the first time I saw ROOTS. I remember, as a child, that I had no idea that I was capable of feeling such rage. I didnt' even know that the kind of blazing rage that I was feeling was even possible at all for any living thing period, much less a little kid like me. I couldn't watch all of ROOTS the first time it came out.
I wasn't touched by rage when I heard the particulars of some aspects of this movie, but I knew right away that I needed to not be giving my money to anyone who was willing to present such controversial material and more than likely lacked the deft touch and nuance and clear resolution that such a cinematic effort would require in order to deliver a clear message to the moviegoer and provide a satisfying experience to all the moviegoers watching this film.
So there were no elaborate car chases or extreme martial arts action scenes?
We really needed a Django in this film, from what I gather from my friends.
What's more? This time period could have been used to showcase the African and African-American martial arts that included the precursors to Jailhouse Rock, the African martial art hybrid that became known in Brazil as Capoeira but which has its own expressions throughout the Western Hemisphere, not just in Brazil . Martinique, Belize, Cuba, Haiti, all the islands, and yes the southern USA too. nd the African American style of boxing and gunslinging was incorporated into it. There's history there.
WOW!
It was so much better than I expected.
Such a dignified look at a neglected piece of American History.
Poignant and powerful.
Even Oprah didn't get on my nerves this time!
Go see it! You will not be disappointed!
Please tell me what is so Wow-worthy about this movie, Wand. I really wish to know. No sarcasm or disrespect intended. I'm genuinely asking.
