{"id":28116,"date":"2020-02-12T16:15:57","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T21:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/?p=28116"},"modified":"2020-02-12T16:17:27","modified_gmt":"2020-02-12T21:17:27","slug":"5-underappreciated-black-history-films-male","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/entertainment\/2020\/02\/12\/5-underappreciated-black-history-films-male\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Underappreciated Black History Films (Male)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Historically, black men have not been allowed to be characters possessing great complexity. There was a long period where black men were portrayed <\/em>by white men in blackface and needless to say, these characters were rooted in racist caricatures. Portrayed as little more than the most fearsome, dangerous beings a white woman could possibly encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take \u201cThe Birth of a Nation\u201d for example. It was once deemed a significant film, deeply cherished by our country. Black men were the villains of righteous white heroes in the narrative. The Klansmen had to fight to protect both their women and country. Although this was a work of fiction, many people believed that black men were genuinely corrupt by nature and the film even caused the Ku Klux Klan to endure a revival<\/a>. This isn’t unexpected when referencing the media’s known effect on reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In American history, it was hard to be a black man – or even a child, as you had to be aware that danger always hung over you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the films on this list capture this state of living, as survival remains at the forefront of the character\u2019s minds. Others show black men being courageous, bold, and daring, despite the societal norms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just as in my previous list: some of these films are fictional and some are not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Source: Youtube\/Movieclips Classic Trailers) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5.) Hoodlum (1997)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmerican Gangster\u201d placed a spotlight on Frank Lucas<\/a>, a drug trafficker who operated in Harlem during the \u201860s and \u201870s. Early on, the movie acknowledges that he was the right-hand man to the recently-deceased Ellsworth \u201cBumpy\u201d Johnson. This film centers on Johnson\u2019s rise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHoodlum\u201d tells a fictionalized account of the gang war between black gangsters and the Italian\/Jewish mafia alliance that spanned from the late \u201820s to the early \u201830s. During this time, mobster Dutch Schultz aimed to have control of the numbers game. This was a significant thing, as this illegal game was crucial to the functioning of a black neighborhood like Harlem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chance to potentially win the numbers provided destitute families an opportunity to eat and Stephanie St. Clair (also known as \u201cMadame Queen\u201d) was at the top of this system. This little known figure resisted the interests of the mafia as she ran Harlem. Not only was she a recognized gangster, but also an activist for her community. Therefore, it goes without saying, there were many reasons why she did not desire white gangsters infiltrating Harlem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Clair is presented early on in \u201cHoodlum,\u201d as Johnson manages to strike her interest. Johnson ultimately becomes the one who takes down St. Clair\u2019s enemies as the fight for Harlem wages on. In real life, by the \u201840s, St. Clair became less involved with the numbers game and Johnson ran Harlem with an iron fist with his right-hand man Frank Lucas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to mixed reviews, Hoodlum falls at the bottom of this list. But even so, I can\u2019t help but have a soft spot for the film as it shows how the black community functioned during The Depression. And frankly, I just can\u2019t resist movies about organized crime in its early state.

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(Source: Youtube\/MissDiane1962) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4.) Sounder (1972)<\/strong>
<\/strong>\t<\/strong>At a glance, \u201cSounder\u201d seems to be a story of a boy and his beloved dog, but the film\u2019s content is much more than that. \u201cSounder\u201d tells the story of the Morgan Family, who are sharecroppers in 1930s Louisiana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although The Great Depression affected many across America, it especially hurt black families such as the Morgans<\/a>. David, the eldest son of the family, is forced to become a man early when his father is imprisoned for stealing a ham to feed his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, his father returns to the household maimed and David must decide what he intends to do with his life. Does he go to school, possibly holding the potential to become a great man? Or does he stay home to support his father and other family members? This is the sort of conflict that many black youths faced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tDuring the time of its release, \u201cSounder\u201d was highly praised for its honest portrayal of a black family during desperate times. It stands at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated at the Oscars for \u201cBest Picture,\u201d \u201cBest Actor in a Leading Role,\u201d and \u201cBest Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.\u201d Cicely Tyson, who plays the family matriarch, almost won \u201cBest Actress in a Leading Role.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years later in 2003, \u201cSounder\u201d was remade, airing through \u201cThe Wonderful World of Disney.\u201d This adaptation is the version I first saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Source: Youtube\/Trailer Chan)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3.) Devil In a Blue Dress (1995)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDevil in a Blue Dress\u201d stars Denzel Washington as Easy Rawlins, a private investigator during the \u201840s in Los Angeles. It is based on Walter Mosley\u2019s book of the same name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy Rawlins is not a detective with formal training, however after being laid off from work he needs to make mortgage payments on his house. With occupations being scarce for black men at the time, he finds himself accepting a job from a man named DeWitt Albright to look for a woman named Daphne Monet. She is described as a \u2018white\u2019 woman hiding out somewhere in the African-American community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While \u201cDevil in a Blue Dress\u201d begins slowly, fans of noir films are in for a treat if they patiently watch on as Easy Rawlins unravels a mystery backdropped by shady men, a mysterious woman, government corruption, and race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This film stands at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and although it bombed at the box office during its time of release, many of its reviews are raving. The author of the source material additionally served as an associate producer, showing that this is one of those films that are a worthy adaptation of its book.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Source: Youtube\/lucylovesonline)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2.) In The Heat Of The Night (1967)
<\/strong>Yet another mystery film, \u201cIn the Heat of the Night\u201d follows Virgil Tibbs, a black police detective who becomes involved with a murder case in \u201860s Mississippi. Initially, he is wrongly convicted as being the perpetrator of this crime by Chief Gillespie, who led the investigation. Upon finding out that Tibbs is a top homicide detective who could benefit the case, these two different men join together to solve it. It was in the intentions of the director, Norman Jewison to tell an anti-racist story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the Heat of the Night\u201d holds historical impact for multiple reasons. The<\/p>\n\n\n\n

first being that it was the first major Hollywood film to have been lit with consideration for how Sidney Poitier\u2019s skin would look. The second being that the film broke a taboo by having Tibbs backhand a racist, plantation owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\t“Young black people in northern cities responded to the film in a much more visceral way than the whites did.\u201d Said Jewison in an interview with The Guardian. \u201cThis was the first time a black actor was wearing the fancy suit and being looked up to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tOn Rotten Tomatoes, \u201cIn The Heat of The Night\u201d holds a 94% rating. It received multiple awards, including an Oscar for \u201cBest Picture,\u201d \u201cBest Actor,\u201d \u201cBest Film Editing,\u201d \u201cBest Sound Mixing\u201d and \u201cBest Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.\u201d Unfortunately, Poitier was left out of the nominations, yet he is recognized for delivering one of the greatest lines of all time,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\t\u201cThey call me Mister <\/em>Tibbs!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Source: Youtube\/Movieclips Classic Trailers)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1.) Rosewood (1997)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was once an all-black community in Florida known as Rosewood<\/a>. The self-sufficient neighborhood was established in 1845 but was destroyed in 1923 when it was believed that a white woman in a nearby town had been brutalized and raped by a black man.  Reports say at least six black people were killed, but eyewitness accounts previously stated that the real toll could be from 27 to 150.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Singleton\u2019s, \u201cRosewood\u201d retells this tragic event. However, none of the principal characters are real. Ving Rhames\u2019 character, only known as \u201cMann\u201d is a Western-esque, reluctant hero who is an outsider to the Rosewood community. However, as violence fills the streets he encourages others to fight back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don Cheadle also gives a spectacular performance as the character, \u201cSylvester\u201d who, at the very end of the movie, delivers one of the most chilling lines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have seen Rosewood twice in my life. The first being as a small child at my grandmother\u2019s side, the second being in Elementary School. At the time I deemed this film to essentially be something like a recommended viewing for black history. Yet, as I grew older mentions of the film began to dwindle and I cannot recall a recent time where it has aired on television, let alone streamed on any platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people know John Singleton for movies such as, \u201cBoyz in the Hood,\u201d \u201cBaby Boy,\u201d or even \u201cPoetic Justice.\u201d While these are excellent movies \u201cRosewood\u201d has to be a personal favorite of mine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It holds 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and while it lacks nominations and awards: it remains important. Simply due to the fact the Rosewood massacre is seldom spoken of in the present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ayzha Middlebrooks
<\/strong>Associate Editor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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