The tumultuous environment of politics and representation has its own playing field in Hollywood and this award season has seen one hell of a match.
HFPA Favorite and surprise commercial sensation “La La Land”, the second musical masterpiece from newcomer Damien Chazelle (previously noted for his achievements with the musical psych drama “Whiplash”), is expected to make a historic sweep at the February 26th Award Ceremony.
But it would seemingly be an insurmountable injustice for a film about two white privileged entertainers who save Jazz (a cultural music genre developed by African-Americans) while navigating and dancing through the hills and streets of Los Angeles (one of the most diverse cities in the country) to win over three intricately deep films of vitally important natures beyond just resurrecting an art in a large city.
I’m talking about “Fences”, “Hidden Figures”, and “Moonlight”.
These films have been praised by independent critics and film festivals for their achievements in acting, writing, and production. Specifically, the acting in “Fences”, Viola Davis and Denzel Washington give the performances of their lifetimes in this film directed by the latter. Washington worked with the original stage play writer August Wilson to bring this film about a working-class sanitation worker, Troy Maxson, who feels distraught realizing that his time to become a major league baseball player has passed all due to segregation laws that banned African-Americans from playing when he was in his prime. Maxon’s toil, resentment, and anger bubbles to the surface and storms through his family bringing destruction and pain to all. Viola Davis plays Maxon’s wife, Rose, who does her best to support her husband and keep her family together, all at the expense of her husband’s selfish inner crisis, attempts to keep herself together but realizes she can’t just standby.
These powerhouse individual performances not only show the dynamic strength of Davis and Denzel’s acting skill sets, but the stories the characters tell really bring to the screen a deeper more involved and almost so intensely intricate side to the stereotype of the angry black man and angry black woman. It’s a telling piece of film that deals with the reality of immediate post-segregation America and the effects of exploitation of people of color.
“Moonlight” is truly a piece of art. Often films about a young black man attempting to explore his life and character take place in the inner cities of New York, Chicago, Detroit….or some notably urban big city, but “Moonlight” explores the culture of growing up black in the multicultural southeast city of Miami, known for it’s populous Latin demographic. What makes “Moonlight” so incredible is that it really centralizes on the character of “Chiron” and his struggle with identifying as queer at three critical stages of his life. He struggles with surviving in the poverty and drug-running outskirts of Miami, under pressure to avoid the accepted fate of drug dealing and becoming a violent and aggressive “no-life”, yet with a crack-abusing mother and a lack of support or social discussion, Chiron’s world is so convoluted and it’s heartwrenching to watch him try and wade the waters. Consistencies flow in and out of each chapter, though Chiron grows up drastically. I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful every aspect of this film is in writing, character development, cinematography, sound editing, acting (Oh Lordy I could go on and on for days about how wonderful Janelle Monae and Mahershala Ali are).
“Hidden Figures” was probably the most accessible film among the noted three. Most likely due to being supported by a larger studio and picked up on nationwide screens. The film was important in a similar context to “Fences” (i.e. post-segregation America limiting the opportunities/exposure of African-Americans). This film, about 3 black female statisticians who helped NASA with one of the first successful rocket launches, and how they were barely even acknowledged in history despite their vital contributions to the completion of the project. In my opinion, this film was truly a cast carried film. The individual performances were wonderful, but it was the onscreen dynamic of the entire cast that made this film magical and really drove home the message and importance of this film.
Three important dramatic films about topics more important than privileged white folks who sing and tap dance around Los Angeles before everything working out in the end for them financially and career wise….the nostalgia of the production and throwback to the Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire days while disguising itself as an ode to Los Angeles. But the thing is, as much as it’s a tribute to the City of Angels, it only represents such a small fraction of people here. Yes, it’s meant to inspire and bring joy. But honestly, I don’t believe it deserves the praise it's recieving as groundbreaking and life changing.
In retrospect, the Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire films that were hailed as classics were films that served as distraction techniques to the reality of the segregation and diversity that occurred outside the exact cinemas where these films played. And honestly, I think that’s what “La La Land” is doing. Not purposely, I don’t believe Damien Chazelle put this film together with that intention, but in a world where we’re going on our third year of the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite and the racial division in our own neighborhoods, it’s crucial that we give acclaim to the stories and turn the spotlight on people of color telling real stories that are woven into our everyday culture. Reaching for your dreams is awesome, and failing and succeeding and happy endings make us feel great. But people, young and old, need to see these stories. They need to see themselves represented going through trials and failing and succeeding.
I say this as a woman of color who has the privilege of passing for white, or at least being racially ambiguous, I say this as a woman who had the privilege of growing up in a middle class household and has had the privilege of being able to access a private education and have exposure to various cultures and aspects of pop culture. Because of this, because of seeing myself and identities I explored myself through in digital media, I realize the importance of these projects getting the exposure and acclaim they deserve.
My mind says that one of the white-led films, most likely “La La Land”, will sweep the Oscars, and my heart wants the others to win. But please, I implore you to see “Fences”, “Hidden Figures”, and “Moonlight”. I also ask that you seek out indie films that may have storylines about issues you see yourself conflicting with or possibly identifying with. Keep watching mainstream and popular beloved films. I know I will, but I also know that they are not the only media that tells stories and changes lives. I’ll stay aware and I’ll acknowledge all that is around me which divides my neighbors, my sisters. I think that’s what my point was here.
