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BAMM for Bamboozled
A Film Review by JAMILA-RA,
Review Copyright 2000
It's an interesting line of attack used against Spike's personality
and not his work. The dichotomy is to criticize him and his use of a repertory
of artists (mostly black) - something that has been done without criticism
by Welles, Mamet, Fellini, and John Houston among others - BAMM.
It's always "He's angry", "mad at the world", "mad at the white race",
and from what I've viewed, patently untrue. I have never seen or heard
Spike raise his voice or express himself in interviews in any fashion
other than as an educated intelligent artist. Neither in print or live
am I aware of him resorting to personal name calling and attacks on people.
This kind of bias reportage is further proof of the sorry state of our
present presidential election, "would you vote for the individual you
think would make a good friend", or "does Frick or Frack have the best
smile or look more friendly", "who dresses better", high school comparison
and contrast analysis for the electorate's consumption, BAMM.
There has been no real dissection of current public issues, the death
penalty, concealed weapons and gun control, government voucher payment
for private schools, the right to choose for women, the conservation of
rainforests, development in the wilderness areas of Alaska, world trade
and the price of oil, the proliferation of illegal drug production, consumption
and distribution, social security age eligibility (how many blacks and
browns live to 65, (check the statistics), BAMM The exact
situation exists when controversial black films or art are released, Sweetback,
The Spook Who Sat By The Door, To Sleep With Anger.
Spike has on occasion defended (it seems an artist might be more respected
for this than less) his own point of view and has not been shy about it.
Come to think of it, how shy can he be, a black man from Brooklyn, people
need to get serious and stop eating the garbage they are being fed by
the media BAMM.
An excellent example of the kind of intelligent dialogue that can be
generated by artists and scholars is the dual-interview with Spike and
Debbie Allen on Nightline. This interview took place on the occasion
of the release of Debbie's film Amistad. And Spike had legitimate
objections to its content. I have the interview on tape and it is history
live and in color. It was beautiful, thoughtful, healthy discussion between
two pre-eminent black artist for the world to see. The media would have
you believe that we always resort to the dozens, BAMM. This
is something I'm sorry to say a few others have not done while discussing
their differences with Spike for public consumption.
Beautiful Black women Debbie reminded Spike, and rightfully, that his
usurpation of his feature star in the first frame of X was
incorrect. Spike demurred and the conversation moved on. Spike reminded
Debbie that the most dramatic and important scene in her film belonged
to the white stars and really became a film about their involvement in
the event. Something that has been repeated again, and again, in films
that purport to tell black stories, black history; The Cotton Club,
Cry Freedom, Mississippi Burning, Bird,
and so forth and so on, SOBS and BAMM.
With all of that said, a discussion of the film is what is most germane
in the first place and not what the media has said the film maker is.
With BAMM, Spike Lee crosses into a pantheon of film makers
that have influenced the body politic by bringing important issues to
the screen. Names like Micheaux, Gordon Parks, Kubrick, Houston, Hitchcock,
Godard, Costa Graves, Oliver Stone. Like many other film auteurs who have
consistently peopled the New York City landscape with memorable characterizations,
among them Scorsese, Cassavetes, Woody Allen, Spike has continually, again
given us the look and feel of the city that other film directors have
not shown.
With BAMM Spike has returned to his early flash of brilliance
in the film School Daze in addressing the schizophrenic
identity crisis within the black community, the living testimony to "Black
Skin, White Masks"*. Damon Wayans is the personification of the "organization
man", however he has a change of heart. Albeit in the film the change
appears to be brought about by him being out blacked by a white man, an
ultimate irony, BAMM. Some of this same message was recalled
in Do The Right Thing. With his work in Get On the
Bus, Clockers, 4 Little Girls, Spike
has begun pointing in a direction that is no longer polemical but a linear
dialectic that is unescapable to the conscious artist, BAMM.
Spike dissects real issues, his characters don't spout the flooze of
current political candidates and officeholders. The discussion topics
of the rap group in the film, the intentional misnomer of a popular designer
label, the use of all white firms and artist, writers, critics to interpret
the black aesthetic are key to defining the character rationale of the
film. The scene of the abandoned building raid was classic. It was the
perfect motivation for the actions of the two main characters. I've heard
many say the ending was unrealistic. How short are people's memories?
A similar story was told just recently in the film Drop Squad,
starring "ER"'s Eriq LaSalle. Many people may never have heard of the
SLA, the De Mau Mau"s, or the original Mau Mau's in Africa. Recent events
on that continent and in Europe give more than enough credence for some
opting to take such action, and I'm certain Spike claims no endorsement
of any such idea; come on people this is art and art imitates life, BAMM.
Some of the same territory has been covered in Fear Of A Black Hat,
Hollywood Shuffle, Ain't Supposed to Die A Natural
Death, Oreos With Attitudes, and the 1960's, Putney
Swope.
If there are artists today, who are not lusting to work with Spike they
are...BAMM. Spike has either introduced or showcased some
of the finest actors working today, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Denzel Washington,
Laurence Fishburne, Lonnette McKee, Delroy Lindo, Jada Pinkett, Wesley
Snipes, Branford Marsalis, Mikki, Phiffer Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn,
Reggie Rock Bythewood (now producer/director), Chris Rock, Terence
Blanchard, Stevie Wonder, John Leguizamo, Halle Berry (the cable version
Dorothy Dandrige who was almost unrecognizable in her Spike
debut), Ernest Dickerson (now producer/director), Charles S.
Dutton, Harry Lennix, Andre Braugher, Rosie Perez, Bernie Mac, Michael
Jackson, Cynda Williams, Robi Reed, Joie Lee, Hill Harper (now producer/director)
Theresa Randle, Ruth Carter, Reuben Cannon, Roger, Guenvuer Smith,
BAMM. And in the coup de grace, stars of unparelled acclaim
from the Italian-American community, who in the media are almost always
depicted as the worst haters of blacks, BAMM. Danny Aiello,
John Turturro, Harvey Keitel, Annabella Sciorra, Anthony Quinn, BAMM.
The performances in BAMM were uniformly excellent and
well paced. The film could easily have gone way over the top with it's
satirical, scatology. Spike's direction was a sign of his growing moderation
and maturity in texturing. His ability to fine tune the tones he wants
to play is giving him an astute eye. Savion is a rare find in an accomplished
stage performer who has been able to translate his live success to the
screen. His presence in the film was new, fresh, and completely believable.
Damon, a screen and comedic veteran was, as usual, funny even when he
wasn't supposed to be. An actor whose comedic touch is fueled by his sense
of pathos. Jada Pinkett took a very sensible approach to a role that had
many layers. An educated black professional female whose role is the same
as her role in life...a supporting player to whatever male she is supporting.
Baltimore steals the film in his role as the father of Pierre. Just
as his comedy monologues have never resorted to buffoonery, physical comedy,
or even self-deprecating, slang spouting homeboyisms, his clear resonant
diction and his unerring portrayal of a black performer was Oscar calibre.
His guy was deftly crafted "old school" and not exactly from his generation
old school, but the old school of black men from the last 100 years (Spike
went back to the days of Joe's Barbershop we cut heads"). He got off one
of the film's best line, ".... where did you get that accent?". How many
times have you heard people in the inner city speak with affected British,
French, Jamaican, et. al accents and had never traveled out of town? BAMM.
Tommy Davison proves again, he is an actor of unappreciated abilities.
He has been seen, in primarily comic roles, but his sensibility as an
artist is always evident even when he is playing a clown. His role in
Strictly Business is noteworthy as was his performances
in Boomerang. But by far the two best utterances were made
by Pierre when he addressed the all-white ad agency staff, "...I want
you to know how it feels to be black...you're all fired." And, "...to
understand this situation I want you to remember the revulsion and angst
you felt after the O.J. verdict."
The ending shots of the now, historical pieces of Americana, the lawn
fixtures, novelties, children's toys, signs, the expensive antiques that
whites, even today, display and covet in their homes was well worth the
price of any ticket to see on the large screen. The last black film I
saw worthy of this endorsement was Eve's Bayou, a modern
masterpiece. I mentioned to a black acquaintance that in my estimation,
unequivocally fully 80% of any young white audience viewing the film had
never seen these images, and if they had did not know what they represented,
BAMM. I further stated that, unfortunately, I'm certain
way over half of the black audience viewing it was just as unschooled,
BAMM. This issue is intolerable, just as another friend
said to me upon viewing Richard Gere's Cotton Club, "if
black people are not careful, in the future people will say Duke Ellington
was white and be believed." BAMM, BAMM, BAMM. BAMBOOZLED AGAIN!
* the classic "Black Skin, White Masks", by black psychiatrist Franz
Fanon
A Statement of fact. For any black viewer who thinks
Spike's new film is not the real deal, hello! that's all the
proof needed to substantiate he is right on target, BAMM.
The reason I make this all-inclusive statement is because of the typical
comments and tactics that have been used to criticize the film. One of the
oldest and most preposterous propaganda techniques is at play here. Spike's
films are almost always attacked by attacking him. The Argument Ad Hominem,
Latin for he's the villain so anything he does is wrong, BAMM.
Whatever is said about him it's evident he is a great burgeoning cineast
who in compiling an extremely impressive film lexicon, is becoming a major
American voice on the world stage.
JAMILA-RA, a Chicago writer has been writing and publishing
film reviews since her groundbreaking first reviews were published in
Film Comment Magazine (1969). The reviews featuring black actors, Guess
Whose Coming To Dinner and For The Love of Ivy,
were widely distributed in the USA and abroad. She has also been published
in Film News, Black World, Chicago Reader, Jam
Sessions, Nommo, and other publications. Comments can be sent
to jamilara@AOL.COM.
