If the movie looks and feels like a stage production, it's because it was adapted from a play by Kemp Powers, who also wrote the movie screenplay. In this phenomenal movie, directed by Golden Globe, Academy and Emmy Awards winning actress Regina King, four black icons come together to celebrate one's victory and end up discussing the black struggle against an oppressive white America.
I'll admit, I can watch any movie/television show with Regina King in it simply because she brings that certain real presence you look for on film. However, in "One Night in Miami," Regina is behind the scenes making her directorial debut, and she nails it. If the saying, "behind every good man is a good woman" is true, then the woman behind the scenes getting these four brotha's to put forward such high-powered performances like they did in this movie, makes Regina an Extraordinary woman.
What Regina must have instilled in the four actors was the pride and courage to succeed in becoming the larger than life icons they portrayed. What she got onscreen was like the reward of a mother, wife or sister who, through encouragement and love, helps a man become a better man. Credit Regina for setting the stage, and the actors for building a strong and trusting, brotherly friendship that came across onscreen.
In describing the movie I think its writer, Kemp Powers, said it best; "a work of fiction powered by the truth."
The dialogue, with its arguments on race, wealth, power and faith, unapologetically gives viewers a taste of what it was like for a black man to be a successful icon in America in 1964. The choices and consequences which came with that success were something each had to work through. This meeting between the four allows them to share their feelings and views of it all, with each other and us viewers.
The movie is a beautiful snap shot of an era blacks as a whole should reacquaint themselves with today, if for no other reason than to assess and reevaluate the road that led to a much needed Black Lives Matter movement today.
For me personally, I was drawn into the times, characters and culture of the movie because it's a story about my peoples, written and performed by my peoples and based on real life heroes of my peoples. Peoples of other cultures, whether they know something about the real life characters and times portrayed or not, will take away some enlightening things from this movie I'm sure. But for a black man, along with black women, this movie touches on our long brotherhood and sisterhood struggle to stand together against inequality and oppression in America.
It is a reflection of us at a time of socioeconomic change and choices. A time not unlike the times we find ourselves in today, where as referred to in the movie, we blacks just wanna be treated as human beings by whites.
I could go on. Instead, catch the movie on television and enjoy time well spent with Malcolm, Cassius, Jim and Sam. Get a lesson in what it means to discuss differences of opinion with those you love and respect.
A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke
True Events that Inspired Regina King's One Night In Miami
One Night In Miami, speculative history sings
No comments:
Post a Comment