Movies have always been meant to be a form of entertainment, first and foremost. When Thomas Edison introduced his motion picture camera (kinetoscope) that allowed a person to see moving images commercially (1893), the aim was not to teach, but to entertain. The problem was that there wasn’t any film being produced to make a motion picture studio profitable. Eastman Kodak soon took care of that problem, and the first studio was formed in New Jersey.
From the beginning, movies had black characters in them. However – and there’s always a however in life – they were stereotypes that whites believed about blacks, and they were portrayed by whites in blackface paint. Prior to the 1930’s, the only true depictions of black life were film by blacks for exclusively black audiences in segregated theaters. The earlier superior films were written and directed by Oscar Micheaux, who continued until his death in 1951.
In 1936, a movie called Green Pastures was released by Hollywood. It was Hollywood’s vision of the way black people viewed God, Heaven and several Old Testament stories. The angels smoked "5 cent see-gars and had Friday night fish fry’s". That was meant to be black peoples view of Heaven. God (or De Lawd, as it’s black people called him) was played by Rex Ingram (who also played Adam and Hezdrel). This same Rex Ingram played Lucifer Jr. in the Hollywood movie, Cabin in the Sky in 1943. Cabin in the Sky was significant for its all-black cast, strong female characterizations in Lena Horne and Ethel Waters and the introduction of the dance, the Moonwalk, years before Michael Jackson was born.
The 1950’s showed several movies showing black life. There was Porgy and Bess and The Defiant Ones, both starring Sidney Poitier. If you notice, Green Pastures, Cabin in the Sky and Porgy and Bess are all musicals. The Defiant Ones was just that – defiant; and it earned it’s black star an Academy award nomination.
The 1960’s was the era of "freedom" and expressive creativity, and with it came black exploitation movies. Hollywood realized people – all people – would pay money to see movies with black stars in them. Even when they were not signing and dancing. That’s when you saw the "angry" black films. One of the best was 1969’s The Learning Tree, directed and written by Gordon Parks. This was a semi-autobiographical novel of a coming to age story, showing a true version of black life at the beginning of the 20th century. Right on the heels of that movie, in 1970, came The Great White Hope, starring James Earl Jones in the "true" story of the boxing great Jack Johnson. Gordon Parks went on to direct the 1971 hit, Shaft. Shaft was the first major motion picture in which a black man wore a moustache, and he wasn’t a villain. In the same year, Sweet Sweetback’s Baaadassss Song came out, showing that a black man could fight the police, beat them and still be a hero. James Earl Jones returned to the fore front in 1976, with The River Niger, a powerful story of a black man who’s job is that of a house painter, but his soul is that of a poet. The 1980’s seemed to be the era of Eddie Murphy, starting with 48 Hours, and going to Trading Places, The Beverly Hills Cop series, The Golden Child and Harlem Nights. The best, however of his movies, and the set-up for his success today was his multi-character depictions in Coming to America.
Just as the 1980’s were the era of Eddie, the 1990’s were the era of Denzel Washington. Just to name a few of his movies during that decade: Mo’ Better Blues, Mississippi Masala, Ricochet, Malcom X, Philadelphia, Crimson Tide, Devil in the Blue Dress, Courage Under Fire, Fallen, The Hurrican and The Bone Collector.
It’s too early to decide what movie or actor will be the most significant in the new millennium, but one thing is sure: it will be entertaining!
