Note: The views and opinions expressed in "Guest Starring" movie commentary are not necessarily the views of 3BlackChicks Enterprises™; commentary presented in original form as submitted by "Guest Star" commentator, except where noted otherwise; copyright belongs to respective authors.
Jeff Hunt's commentary on
Review Copyright Jeff Hunt, 2003
Translating books to the screen is always tough, as a single feature-length film doesn't allow for all the details and complexities you can get from 400 pages of character development and exposition. Doing biopics is risky too: not only do they face the inherent limitations of film as above, but the audience will inevitably compare the screen portrayal with what they know -- or think they know -- about the subject.
Most biopics fail either because they bite off more than they can chew, taking on numerous subjects at once (as with the recent Ali); or they seem more concerned with despoiling the person's reputation by opening skeleton-filled closets. Introducing Dorothy Dandridge instead focuses on how the actress endured the indignities suffered by being black in Hollywood in the '40s and '50s.
This is a film that's as much about a black actress as an actress. Martha Coolidge was certainly equipped to handle one aspect of Dorothy Dandridge's life, but the project might have been better with Gina Prince Blythewood, Julie Dash, Kasi Lemmons, Euzhan Palcy, Jessie Maple, or scores of others -- even Maya Angelou, who actually knew Dorothy Dandridge -- at the helm. When a white man provides the perspective on a historical black American, and a white person directs, there's the additional risk that something important will be lost.
Watching Introducing Dorothy Dandridge won't necessarily tell us what made her tick, but at least it helps us understand how she felt, and that's a surprising feat for television. The movie at least doesn't pander, doesn't sensationalize. If only it showed us more of her relationships outside Hollywood (as in the scenes with Loretta Devine and Cynda Williams), we might know her just a little better.
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (TV movie review)
Back to "On The Box"
So, what do you think of this show, or of the above commentary on it? Fill out the information below to let us know...