Monday 17 April 2017

Film: 'I Am Not Your Negro'

Hard-hitting, moving document-ary using incomple-ted notes of James Baldwin (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) for a projected book on the lives and deaths of three of Baldwin's friends, Martin Luther King Jnr., Malcolm X and the lesser-known Medger Evers, all assassinated in the 1960s within a few years of each other.  

The exclusive subject treated by this film is the status of black men and women, specifically in America, aspects of which have not gone away even today, and using Baldwin's own words either through TV interviews and appearances as well as his written words eloquently recited by Jackson, and in addition, quite substantial extracts from a speech he gave at Cambridge (University, England) Students' Union. 
There's plenty of newsreel footage and stills from incidents of the time - demonstrations, police brutality and the still horrifying-to-see naked hatred directed at non-white citizens, a lot of the images being new to me, though the nature of which was well known. 
Brief extracts of feature films between the 1930s and 1960s illustrate ingrained attitudes fed to (overwhelmingly white) American audiences to make them feel better about the underlying injustices, and shifting any guilt feelings onto 'the negro problem'. Happy families and gaily dancing and singing young groups habitually exclude any non-white faces so that you'd think that true contentment only happens for - and worse, only is deserved by - whites.

Director Raoul Peck has assembled disparate sources into a coherent whole, showing that if anyone really thought that the situation had substantially improved over 50 years, that attitude might need re-examining. A good 'wake-up call', sadly still necessary - though how many times have we heard that kind of thing before? And not only in America. With Brexit having brought out the very worst of so many of us Brits, and along with our Imperial history including a prominent part in the slave trade, we can't have the luxury of smugly pointing at others. 
As far as this film goes, it merits being influential and widely seen ...................7.

6 comments:

  1. racism sucks. and we have plenty of it here, brought to the forefront by donald dump.

    speaking of which, I saw the dump wants a ride in the QEII gold coach. I hope HM tells him to fuck right off!

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    1. Racism has insidiously hidden itself, W.Q., far less blatant than it was back in the 50s and 80s, but it sure is still there, just as alive.

      I'd heard that POTUS had been making extravagant demands for his, erm, 'royal visit' but not known any details. If he really wants a golden coach ride - and that would be so be so appropriate for his pompous feelings of self-worth - I think he's going for nasty fall when he realises it's just not going to happen. Any thought of such would put the very institution of monarchy at risk, as well as bringing out the crowds - NOT to cheer.

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  2. I've been reading about this one and look forward to seeing,e specially since you've given it high marks!

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    1. It's one to see, Bob, of that there's no doubt - and yet I feel that in some way, which I can't quite put my finger on, it should have been even better, and that's been niggling at me. But do see.

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  3. Thanks for the heads up Ray!
    Ron

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    1. It needs to be seen, Ron.
      I've been wondering since seeing it what it was that was missing to give the film the kick it needed to make it even better. I think it's because Baldwin himself in person or through his words being spoken for him, was attempting to keep his emotions at bay while delivering his arguments. If he'd let himself go I can see that it might have played against him but his distancing himself sometimes makes his speeches sound more under-powered than they deserved. But that's only my opinion. You may not feel that way.

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