Black in Period Films

Here's an update from our brothers and sisters across the pond! This blog is dedicated to the whole African Diaspora. SO if any of my followers have any suggestions send them in!! The beautiful   Dido Elizabeth Belle and her cousin in this l ate 18th–early 19th century painting by an unknown artist  I have seen this picture so many times. I've read the story behind it and finally I'll be able to watch a film based around the life of Dibo Elizabeth Belle!! The beautiful Gugu Mbatha-Raw will be playing Dibo. Some Preview Photos! I'm very excited about this. 

Starting December 21 BET will be airing   the 1977 mini-series Roots , they will also show  Roots: The Next Generations  (1979),  Roots: The Gift  (1988), and end with a personal favorite of mine ...  Queen  (1993)!! The broadcast ends on December 26. 

Band of Angels (1957) In the roles of Amanda Starr and Rau-Ru we have Yvonne De Carlo and Sidney Poitier respectivaly. This film also features the famous Clark Gable.  BEWARE : Spoilers Lay Below!!  Amanda Starr is suppose to be a bi-racial woman. The actress that portrays her is however a white woman. This was a very common thing during the time the film was made. It was also done in Pinky and Imitation of Life. I have decided to write about the character even though she isn't portrayed by a person of color, the character is still a character of color.  Amanda Starr lives in antebellum Kentucky as a free woman. She returns home from a Cincinnati finighing school after her slave owning father has died. During the funeral Amanda is told she herself is a slave, as her mother was actually one of her father's slaves. She is to be sold to pay her father's debt.  This is terrible on so many different levels. Not only must sh

I haven't really done any updates on this film (for my own reasons) so here you go a photo update. PLOT:  With the help of his mentor, a slave-turned-bounty hunter sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner. This is a film directed and written by Quentin Tarantino. The cast includes Jaime Foxx as the title character Django. Kerry Washington plays his wife Broomhilda. Samuel L Jackson also stars in this film as a character named Stephen.  Almost every review I've seen of this film has been positive. Two actors have already been nominated for Golden Globes for their work. 

Haven't posted recently because I've been busy with life. Excuses ... excuse ... I know and I'm sorry. But I'm back. I got my hands on the Daughters of the Dust DVD (thanks to my lovely dad!). I'm going to be digging deeper into this film. It is a work of art that is study of so many parts of Black American culture. My discussion will be up later. :)

This blog was not made to bash or tear down films. So I'll keep this review short. If you want to view a historically accurate western with blacks in it, this film is NOT the one to watch. Nothing is accurate. If you want a well written and executed film, this is NOT the movie to watch. As bad as Gang of Roses is. Gang of Roses 2 is worse. But you never know. One of my viewers may end up liking this movie. A few pictures:

Let me preface this by saying the idea was a wonderful one. Five women in the Wild Wild West go on a quest for revenge. The premise behind most good  Westerns. It is just the execution and historical inaccuracies that I feel fail the movie.  I've made a list: Music doesn't not match the period. Hip-Hop and R&B can be heard through out the entire film. Many of the female characters are wearing bellytops Dialogue : "Now's let's all just chill out for one hot minute." Dialogue : "You feel me baby." Women are seen wearing makeup. Not makeup that fits the period either Dialogue : "Why it gotta be all dat?" Babyface gives Chasity a rhinstone necklace as a gift.  Microphone battery pack can be seen None of the main character's outfits are authentic to the period Many of the women can be seen wearing modern lingerie instead of corsets. The presence of long weaves in 1894 Lil' Kim&#