In Thursday’s column, I brought up the topic of the portrayal of African Americans in the movies. This weekend’s Double Take and Save the Last Dance got me thinking about the subject. I received some really great emails. and give them to you uninterrupted. Terrence M. has the floor first…

"My man Russell Demoray speaks the truth. It is clear Hollywood has a few issues concerning the portrayal of blacks both in major and minor roles. One recent example is the Dungeons & Dragons movie with Marlon Wayons in a supporting role next to an actor few people could name, even if he were in their own family. Marlon, whose name is known from his popular brothers and their television shows, and the recent hilarious spoof Scary Movie was obviously ignorant comic relief at best in the commercial, and turned off many potential viewers from going to see the movie (including myself). Equate this with the clear understanding that Hollywood doesn't see a great opportunity when it is staring them in the face. The Kings of Comedy had a much better chance at being more successful at the box office but the concept of a ‘Black Movie’ stood in the way of distribution. It still came in second at the box office under The Cell and only showed in 800 theaters compared to 2600. On the issue of "acting black"- whoever believes movies like Double Take and related films are good, clean fun often have a very stilted view of blacks in general. Very few people can pull off a proper illustration of black culture, and usually it is someone who is comfortable in black skin. Eddie Murphy is the best example (i.e. The Nutty Professor I), Avery Brooks, and of course Denzel Washington. Denzel is an actor mainstream America has claimed as one of their own. This makes sense. Movies are reflection of society and, in this society, it is believed blacks can't handle life or intense emotion without getting violent or crying in some completely emasculating and undignified way, clearly unable to deal with their own problems and in need of a great white hope to save them. Not to mention the story couldn't possibly be important unless a white person is involved (Amistad), or unless it is the first black man, woman, child, car, balloon, glove, to get accepted in the white world. Masked on so many levels, these trends make it impossible for a black film with an intelligent storyline and true characters -- black people who are charming, funny, conservative, wild, smart, eccentric, dumb, wealthy, good, evil, etc. and would never be confused with someone who is ashamed of the skin he is in from birth to death -- to succeed. Now the latest incarnation of this is MTV's Save the Last Dance where a white girl goes to a black school and finds herself through hip hop culture. Need I say more?" -- Terrence Moore

 

"Last summer (I don't remember which movie I went to see) every trailer showed Black men with guns. I decided that I did not want to see any of them. One or two received good reviews. In Nurse Betty, Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock were hit men. The other two trailers featured Jamie Foxx as an ex-con on the run in Bait, and Taye Diggs in The Way Of the Gun. Movies showing Black men looking to murder someone, steal, con, running from something or to something. It seems that a majority of movies show Black people on two ends of a continuum. Either in a quagmire of poverty, crappy public schools, drug commerce, broken families, gun-toters, etc., or the sole black person on the police force or faculty who doesn't have a family at all. There are plenty of pathologies in black families and there is nothing wrong with reflecting them in movies. But I know more Love and Basketball, Soul Food and Down in the Delta families, which also have broken families, drug and unemployment problems, than any others. Every movie shouldn't be Big Momma's House, or Belly, or Shaft, or Double Take." -- Troylene

 

"The tagline that most disturbs me is for Save the Last Dance. The announcer intones (give or take a word): ‘She found herself in another world.’ And the image is of a white girl surrounded by blacks. Oh my, Alice, you were meant to follow the white rabbit! This is not a sci-fi film, I hope, but the line is alienation at its worst. As for comic films such as Double Take, the effects of representation are difficult to judge. Many articles noted the sizable black audiences for Big Momma's House. Large audiences of white teens and twenties turn out for these films, as well. Some may find it cringe-worthy and reductive, but a major element to recognize is audience respect. It may seem queasy when a kid says he's going to run out to see a movie, and then explains that the malt liquor episode makes him bust a gut, but... These movies look to attract an audience; they look to make people laugh; they can turn the actors into high-priced stars; they succeed. I think the audience enjoys and idolizes that success." -- B

 

"I agree completely with Russell, it's hysterical to think how blacks are invariably treated like cartoons, surpassed in their absurdity only by the real whites who act like them. I should bring up that, besides Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel Washington, I can't think of any ‘Kevin Spaceys or Robert DeNiros’ of the African American world. Will Smith has charisma, but all he's done is popcorn movies, and that racist-overtoned Legend of Bagger Vance. (If any African Americans think it wasn't racist, then I withdraw, but I saw what I saw. ) The reason buffoonery represents black culture is because it's shallow, sickening, annoying, and ultimately bad for our society -- everything that the kids eat right up all yummy-num-num. The inarticulate but street-saavy black anti-hero is an idol to suburban white kids bored by their homogenous surroundings. Personally, I think it's almost unfair to ask studios to come up with insightful race representations, it's like asking a dog to recognize itself in the mirror. What I want to know is if there's such a shortage of good work for black actors, how can Eddie Murphy justify taking six roles in a movie…to display his ‘genius’? Maybe he should go back to ‘SNL’ instead of boycotting it because David Spade said an unfunny movie he was in wasn't funny." -- Robert Bartlett

Thanks Terrence, Troylene, B, and Robert. These were just the kind of insightful emails I was hoping to receive when I brought up this topic. Anyone else who would like to contribute to this discussion, please do so. I think this is an important one, and maybe, just maybe, there are some studio execs out there who read this column and will be influenced by what you have to say.

We’ve all been working from speculation in our discussions of Double Take and Save the Last Dance. If you catch either of these films this weekend, be sure to e-mail me your review.

And what about Thirteen Days? No Oscar buzz, but it has been getting good reviews from some reputable critics. Those of you who see it this weekend, please, please, please submit a review. I’m actually kind of curious about this one.

And finally what do you think about the Oscars? Do they really reward ‘the best’? Aside from the Marisa Tomei win, which I don’t think was the travesty everyone made it out to be, which Oscar winners probably didn’t deserve their golden statues? Which films, actors, etc. have been "robbed" by the Academy? Have a great weekend and send me an email, won’t you?

 

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