Film_Analysis.edited-1683396552.7408159
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Film Analysis
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1 – Preface
Mahogany film:
"Success is nothing without someone you love to share it with."
The
quote extracted from the movie "Mahogany" illustrates how connections and relationships with
others are just as important to success as material wealth and individual accomplishments. It
might be seen as a statement on the value of support and community amid institutionalized
prejudice and persecution.
A Jazzman's Blues film: "The music is a reflection of who I am and who we are as a
people."
The line from "A Jazzman's Blues" emphasizes the value of songs in African American
culture along with how it can be an effective means of expressing one's self and establishing
one's cultural identity. It might be considered a statement about how crucial artistic creation is to
opposing prevailing myths and prejudices.
Woman King film: "Our enemies think we are savages, but we are the keepers of
civilization."
This passage from "Woman King" questions the imperialist and racial stereotypes
that were once used to excuse the subjugation of African people. It may be seen as an appeal to
act for the reclamation of African heritage and history since it proclaims the autonomy and
authority of African people.
Within Our Gates (1920) film: "But they won't forget us. They can't. Long as there's a
race, there'll be hate. That's why we've got to keep faith. Keep our courage. And tell the folks at
home what this means and what they must do. We'll win yet."
This passage from "Woman King"
questions the imperialist and racial stereotypes that were once used to excuse the subjugation of
African people. It may be seen as an appeal to act for the reclamation of African heritage and
history since it proclaims the autonomy and authority of African people.
2 – Introduction
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This film analysis paper will survey, discuss and analyze the four films:
Mahogany
directed by Berry Gordy in 1975, A Jazzman's Blues directed by Kennedy Goldsby in 1997,
Woman King directed by Janet Goldwater in 2021 and Within Our Gates directed by Oscar
Micheaux in 1920 from an African Studies epistemological and critical literary foundation and
perspectives. The central analytical tools and lens on which the paper will be scaffolded will be
derived from Ed Guerrero’s text
Framing Blackness (1993). To that extent, the paper will
attempt to arrive at various gathering points that illuminate or demonstrate much of Guerrero’s
criteria for how “the ceaselessly shifting Black image in commercial cinema” (Guerrero, 1993,
Introduction, 3), with all of its reinforcements of Black humiliation and condemnation, via “it's
insults and injuries”, as well as its responsive Black resistance and enlightenment moments have
negotiated notable narratives of “Black empowerment” (Guerrero, 1993).
The audience should be informed that this essay will discuss a variety of epistemologies
related to Africana Studies, such as postcolonial theory, critical race theory, and cultural studies.
The paper will also reference significant ideas and concepts from the course material, such as
intersectionality, media power dynamics, and representation. The reader must also be aware that
this essay is not meant to be a comprehensive examination of each movie, but rather a
concentrated investigation of how these movies react to and oppose prevalent depictions of
Blackness in movies. As a result, rather than aiming to give a thorough analysis of the plot or
stylistic elements of each movie, the article will focus on a careful reading of a few key
sequences and themes from each movie (Guerrero, 1993).
The reader may anticipate a thorough and considerate examination of how these movies
interact with important topics and arguments in popular culture and Africana Studies in general.
The article intends to shed fresh light on the ways that Black filmmakers have utilized cinema as
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a weapon for resistance, empowerment, and expression through a mix of a thorough examination
and theoretical engagement.
This study and writing is important because they contribute to a wider discussion
regarding how Blackness is portrayed in popular media. In the past, Black characters in popular
movies have been constrained to certain, frequently derogatory stereotypes that support harmful
and repressive narratives. This study aims to contribute to a greater movement toward more
varied and nuanced depictions of Blackness in media by exploring how movies like these react to
and question these dominant representations (Guerrero, 1993).
The movies that will be the
subject of this essay's examination also reflect a range of historical eras and viewpoints, from the
beginning of the 20th century to the present.
The study aims to illustrate how Black directors have utilized cinema as a weapon for
political dissent and cultural representation across a variety of various historical and social
situations by analyzing these films from an Africana Studies perspective.
In the end, the
significance of this study and writing comes from its contribution to a greater initiative to
reshape cultural narratives and highlight underrepresented voices and experiences. This essay is
aimed at shedding light on the ways in that cinema can be a potent weapon for bringing about
social change and establishing more fair and just cultural norms by highlighting the works of
Black filmmakers that have criticized mainstream images of Blackness in cinema.
The piece gives me, as a reader, the chance to connect with a rich legacy of Black
cinematography and to learn more about how cinema has been utilized to subvert prevalent
images of Blackness. The study gives fresh perspectives on the intricate interactions between
power, race, and depiction in the film by closely examining each movie and engaging with
significant theoretical ideas. This essay also emphasizes the significance of giving disadvantaged
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voices and viewpoints a central place in the study of cinematography and culture in general. The
article serves as a reminder of the strength and promise of cinema as a vehicle for empowerment,
resistance, and social change by emphasizing the experiences and viewpoints of Black
filmmakers and viewers.
3 - Literary Review/Summary of Films
Film 1 | Mahogany
In the film Mahogany1975, produced by Berry Gordy, Diana Ross plays Tracy
Chambers, an energetic African American woman with aspirations to become a fashion designer.
With the aid of Billy Dee Williams' portrayal of Sean McAvoy, a photojournalist, she relocates
from Chicago to Rome. Tracy quickly understands that to pursue her aspirations, she must
overcome several difficulties in the fashion world.
As Tracy, a Black woman seeking to succeed
in a largely white business, encounters exploitation and prejudice, the movie addresses themes of
gender and racial discrimination in the fashion industry
(
Lamm, 2018). As Tracy is urged to alter
her hairstyle and wardrobe to blend in, the movie also explores the pressures Black women
endure to conform to white cultural and aesthetic norms.
Gordy was inspired to make this movie to provide Black women in the clothing industry
a favorable representation and to highlight their skills and abilities. As Tracy surmounts
challenges to realize her goals, the movie also carries a broader message of Black freedom and
self-determination.
Mahogany has a big impact because it draws attention to the difficulties faced
by Black women within the fashion business and their desire for more chances and
representation. The movie also honors Black innovation and business, and it gives motivation to
Black viewers who want to succeed in a variety of fields.
Film 2 | A Jazzman's Blues (1997)
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The film A Jazzman's Blues tells the story of jazz performer and composer Harry "The
Hipster" Gibson. Gibson's existence as a Black musician in America was fraught with
difficulties, which are explored in the film's disjointed narrative that jumps back and forth
between the past and current. Several issues, including artistic expression, societal injustice, and
self-discovery are explored in the film. The film emphasizes the challenges experienced by Black
musicians in achieving success both economically and professionally via Gibson's experiences. It
also talks about the problems that the Black minority in America has with systematic racism and
police violence.
The nonlinear storyline and overlapping speech of the movie provide an experimental
feel similar to jazz music. With this aesthetic, the audience can fully experience the intricacy and
craziness of Gibson's lifestyle and creative process. A Jazzman's Blues director Kennedy
Goldsby wants to highlight the career of a marginalized Black musician and raise awareness of
the structural challenges that Black artists endure. The movie seeks to honor Black cultural
accomplishments while also bringing to light the hard realities of surviving in a racist and
unequal society.
The film A Jazzman's Blues explores the challenges and achievements of Black
musicians in America. It serves as both an homage to the tradition of jazz music and its
socioeconomic relevance for Black people as well as a forceful reflection on the relationship
between art and social justice.
Film 3 | "Women King" (2021)
In the historical drama "Women King" (2021), Nanisca, a commander in the all-female
troop of the Kingdom of Dahomey during the 18th century, is shown as a real-life historical
character.
The film investigates the complicated power relationships between the French
conquerors, Nanisca, and her daughter Nawi. The conquerors want to enslave their people and
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their country. The main theme of "Women King" is resistance and the struggle for independence.
The movie emphasizes how African women were not just rulers but also fighters, and how strong
and resilient they were. It underlines how crucial it is to comprehend and respect African heritage
and culture as well as the continent's ongoing fight for independence from oppression and
colonialism.
The writer and director of the movie, Janet Goldwater, want to upend the
conventional view of African heritage and the roles played by women in it. She illustrates that
despite efforts to ignore their contributions, African women continue to be strong, active players
in their existence via the tale of Nanisca and her troops.
Additionally, "Women King" emphasizes the similarities between the fights for equality
and justice in the past and now. It shows how colonialism and slavery's effects are still felt in the
existence of Black people today and underscore the value of teamwork and togetherness in the
liberation struggle.
"Women King" presents a strong and empowering portrait of Black women's
tenacity and courage in the face of hardship. It presents a fresh viewpoint on the position of
women within the African civilization and questions conventional historical narratives.
Film 3 |
Within Our Gates (1920)
Oscar Micheaux was the director of the silent movie "Within Our Gates" in 1920. A
young black lady named Sylvia Landry is shown in the movie as she struggles to gather money
for an education for black kids in the South. She runs across a white Northern benefactor along
the way who agrees to provide the money, but Sylvia can show proof of her family's moral
character. Then Sylvia travels to the South to learn more about her ancestry and to confront the
lingering effects of lynching, slavery, and racial profiling.
The legacy of slavery, racism, and
white supremacy are prominent topics in the movie. It defies the prevalent depiction of black
people as stereotypes and caricatures in Hollywood movies at the time by showing them as
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multidimensional, multi-dimensional individuals with agency and respect. With lynching and
other racial atrocities depicted, the movie also highlights the horrifying brutality and tyranny that
black people endured in the Jim Crow South.
Micheaux made the movie to promote black strength and self-determination and to
challenge the prevalent white supremacist tropes that dominated popular media at the time. The
movie emphasizes the significance of learning as a way of attaining social and political change,
and its message is one of defiance and tenacity in the face of injustice and prejudice.
The main
aim of "Within Our Gates" aimed to give a counter-narrative to the mainstream white
supremacist narratives and to show black people as fully formed individuals deserving of dignity
and respect. The movie also had a significant impact on the growth of the African American film
sector, opening doors for later black directors to express their tales and challenge the unfavorable
stereotypes that Hollywood had long promoted.
4 - Survey, Discussion & Analysis
A guiding principle addressing the significance of Black empowerment and struggle in
the film comes from the interconnected and convergent points between the movies
"A Jazzman's
Blues," Mahogany," "Woman King," and "Within Our Gates," along with the insights from
Guerrero's essay "Framing Blackness." The struggles and victories of Black persons and
populations in the face of sexism, racism, and other kinds of oppression are highlighted in these
movies. They also stress the need of maintaining the African American and African American
groups' sense of cultural pride, love, and solidarity.
The films tackle subjects including scientific discrimination, the value divide, and the
detrimental impact of prejudices and "devilpictures." They also oppose the divide-and-conquer
strategies used by those who want to maintain Black people's marginalization and oppression.
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The movies deliver a potent message of resiliency, courage, and hope for Black people and
communities as a whole. A more comprehensive story of Black resistance and cultural creation is
revealed when the connections between each movie and Guerrero's book are made. These films
demonstrate the critical role that art plays in this battle for Black emancipation and dignity and
make significant contributions to that fight.
The focal topics of both Guerrero's writing and these movies are Black autonomy and
resistance to racism and injustice. This is supported by a passage from Framing Blackness that
reads, "The cinematic image is not simply a representation of a reality but a socially constructed
image that reflects and constitutes our society's perceptions and beliefs" (Guerrero, 1993). It
emphasizes the notion that movies are not objective; instead, they reflect and support cultural
ideas and beliefs.
Black protagonists battle against the repressive structures and institutions
surrounding them in all of the movies. For instance, Tracy, a Black designer of clothes in
Mahogany, must negotiate the sexist and prejudiced fashion business to realize her aspirations
(Lamm, 2018). The main character in A Jazzman's Blues, a jazz musician nicknamed Buddy
Bolden, had to deal with the racial prejudice and segregation of the 20th century. The Jim Crow
South's inequalities and the atrocities Black people experienced are shown in the movie Within
Our Gates.
These interrelated and cross-textual discussions together provide a strong message
regarding the ongoing fight for Black empowerment and respect. We may learn more about the
lasting effects of racism and the significance of struggle and resilience by looking at the cultural
and historical circumstances in which the movies were produced as well as how they serve to
challenge society's attitudes and beliefs (Oyebade, 2023).
Engaging with those films and
dialogues has been a method for me to address and challenge the damaging ideas that I have
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absorbed about myself and other people while I work on my own recovery and Black language
and psychological enslavement issues. It has been a means to gain strength and optimism during
continuous difficulties by connecting with a larger history and tradition of resistance.
Pan-Africanism is a movement that supports the international unification and solidarity
of people of African origin as well as the fight against colonialism, racism, and other kinds of
oppression. The movies analyzed concerning Guerrero's Framing Blackness emphasize the value
of Pan-Africanism as a strategy for overcoming and battling institutionalized oppression and
racial prejudice (Guerrero, 1993). White supremacists have long employed the divide-and-
conquer tactic to set Black people against one another based on disparities in socioeconomic
status, gender, and other characteristics. The movies stress the importance of Black solidarity and
unity, especially amongst Black men and women, to defeat this divide-and-conquer tactic and
bring about Black emancipation.
Although there are differences in how Black men and women are portrayed in the
movies, they are often portrayed as dynamic, multifaceted people with agency and the capacity
to confront injustice
(
Kline, 2017). The movies demonstrate the regenerative power of love and
solidarity in the face of persecution via their relationships and ties with one another. These
movies are important to the development of Black culture because they offer alternative
narratives based on Black experiences and history while also challenging and subverting
prevalent myths about Black people. Black artists and filmmakers can claim their agency by
expressing their tales, which helps to build a dynamic and varied Black cultural environment.
The term "devilpictures" as used by Amiri Baraka describes the destructive and
inaccurate perceptions about Black people that were fostered and reinforced by popular culture
and media
(
Guerrero, 1993). These pictures support racist stereotypes and continue to
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marginalize and oppress Black people. By providing alternative representations of Black
individuals that are grounded in their dignity and dignity, the films addressed Framing The
blackness can be understood as attempting to counteract these "devilpictures." The interrelated
and cross-textual discussions that Guerrero's Framing Blackness and the films it discusses
emphasize contribute to a wider discussion of Black autonomy, resistance, and creation of
culture
(
Guerrero, 1993).
5-Conclusion & Personal Critical Reflections
I developed a greater grasp of the intricacies and subtleties associated with African
American and African Diaspora culture and history as I developed a thesis and conducted
research on Black independence and resistance in movies. I learned how to evaluate literature
and movies using a critical framework that takes into account concerns of racial, gender, class,
and political context. The lesson here is that representation counts, and it is critical to portray
varied tales that capture the experiences and viewpoints of historically oppressed people.
My
suggestion is for the movie business to support and invest in different voices, viewpoints, and
narratives.
Although there is a Black Film Revolution in progress, much work remains. There is
currently a dearth of inclusion and diversity in the film and streaming industries, but there are
growing initiatives to remedy this, as seen by the emergence of Black-owned production
businesses and streaming services.
I gained new knowledge and an objective viewpoint on
Africana Studies as a result of researching and writing this thesis. I discovered how to examine
my prejudices and presumptions and how to approach subjects with a sense of curiosity and a
desire to learn. My knowledge and comprehension of African American and African Diaspora
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culture and history have been enriched by this class and Africana Studies, and I want to use this
information in both my professional and personal life going forward.
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References
Guerrero, E. (1993).
Framing blackness: The African American image in film
(Vol. 48). Temple
University Press.
Kline, D. (2017). The pragmatics of resistance: Framing anti-Blackness and the limits of political
ontology.
Critical Philosophy of Race
,
5
(1), 51-69.
Lamm, K. (2018). ‘I Want to Wear It’: Fashioning Black Feminism in Mahogany
(1975).
Australian Feminist Studies
,
33
(98), 428-446.
Oyebade, A. (Ed.). (2023).
Transformations in Africana Studies: History, Theory, and
Epistemology
. Taylor & Francis.
Stokes, M. (2007).
DW Griffith's the Birth of a Nation: a history of the most controversial motion picture of
all time
. Oxford University Press on Demand.