For Colored Girls Film Analysis

In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was enacted by the 88th United States Congress, outlawing any discrimination in the United States. With the Civil Rights Act, and the election America’s first Black president Barack Obama, in 2008, America was gradually becoming a post-racial society after a long history of racism that dates back to the 17th century. History, in conjunction with current events, exposes how America, “the land of the free and the home of the brave” is nowhere near a post-racial society because of white privilege, a broken system, and a new form of slavery; all created by the majority of the United States.

The United States has long been a country that has accepted that change is a necessity for prosperity and growth. However, each change within the nation's history was hard fought against those who resisted such change either through racism, bigotry, and blatant discrimination. African American cinema is enshrouded in history that depicts these themes of racism, struggle, and deprivation. Yet, this same cinema also shows scenes of hope, artistic spirit, intellectual greatness, and joy. Black actresses, actors, directors, producers, and writers have been fighting for recognition and respect since the great Paul Robeson. The civil rights movement of the 1950's and 60's was fueled by black cinema through films like A Raisin in the Sun.

Film is one of the most influential means of communication and a powerful medium of

In early film many African American actresses portrayed roles as mammies, slaves, seductresses, and maids. These roles suppressed them not allowing them to show their true talents. Although they had to take on these degrading roles, they still performed with dignity, elegance, grace and style. They paved the way for many actresses to follow both blacks and whites. These women showed the film industry that they were more than slaves, mammies, and maids. These beautiful actresses showed the film industry that they are able to hold lead parts and even carry the whole cast if need be. Phenomenal actresses such as Hattie McDaniels, Pearl Bailey, Ethel Waters, Nina Mae McKinney, and Dorothy

I Am Not Your Negro is a 2016 documentary film based on the unfinished manuscript titled ‘Remember This House” written by James Baldwin. The manuscript was supposed to be about the lives, the impact these three men had on America and the assassinations of his three friends; Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. Baldwin never had a chance to finish this before he died in 1987 with only 30 complete pages.

In class we viewed documentary titled Girlhood, the film surrounded two teenage girls named Megan and Shanae. Both of the girls have been in the system for years, Megan has been in and out of juvenile detention centers and foster homes for years and is incarcerated this time for attacking one of the other youth at her foster home with a box cutter. Shanae was incarcerated at the tender age of 11 for stabbing a “friend” to death during a fight. The film focuses on getting to know the girls personalities, family history, the journey of their rehabilitation and overall how they ended up in the situations that they are currently in. It also captures the girls in a different light (their funny personalities, them being hopeful, intelligent, and just needing support) instead of just portraying them as juvenile criminals who were just terrible people.

Chicano film is a special and important genre of film that has become an outlet for Chicanos in order for their voices to be heard and stories to be seen by all. After watching a number of Chicano films this semester, I have gained a deeper understanding of Chicano history and have even been able to relate to many of the stories, conflicts, struggles, and pride shared through these films. I feel as though Chicano film has progressed quite a bit since the beginning of Chicano cinema in 1954 when Salt of the Earth was released, and many modern films have allowed different perspectives to be seen regarding Chicano and overall Latino culture. If I had to choose two major films to pass onto future generations of

Thank you so much for visiting my crowdfunding campaign for the documentary film, The Black Suffragist: Trailblazers of Social Justice.

For Colored Girls directed by Tyler Perry in 2010, is an adaption of Ntozake Shange’s 1975 choreopoem, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf.” A choreopoem is a combination of poetry, dance, and music intended to perform on a stage, that was originally written as a poem. Shange’s choreopoem was considered a Broadway sensation that won an Obie and Tony Award. The purpose of her choreopoem was to show how women of color of the twentieth century were oppressed and maintained courage throughout their trials. Tyler Perry integrated Shange’s vivid language from her poem into a contemporary narrative that also explored what it means to be a woman of color. There are seven characters in the poem and nine in the

The medium of film and television have not been effectively coding the many American conflicts of the past decades. The roles of superheroes, villains, and antiheroes have always been used in every film and media directly or indirectly, introducing which is which. Since the beginning of modern film, many movies’ plots and conflicts have revolved around a protagonist or several protagonists faced with an opposing force that is disturbing the order of things, usually another individual bent on malicious intent. A battle between the good and the bad, the heroic and the villainous. Unfortunately, the conflicts between good and bad have not been effectively introduced through this medium. Throughout history, the definition of what is good and what is bad has also changed slightly as a result of the effects of the Sexual Revolution and the Judeo-Christian ethic, and this has indeed been reflected in the more modern movies of today.

In a quiet restaurant, out of no where, two people pop out. They jump on the table and start playing drums with their feet. Then, they jump to another table, raise their hands and drop it in rhythm with their feet, do flip and do some more incredible dances moves. Two of the greatest dancers to step on the dance floor were the African American, Nicholas brothers. Although they were not projected as great as they really were in movies due to their skin color, it did not stop them to be now recognized as one of the best dancer ever.

“…And this is for colored girls who have considered suicide but are moving to the end of their own rainbow…” (Perry: For Colored Girls, 2010). For colored girls was first written and performed as a play by Ntozake Shange in 1977. It was then called “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow was enuf”. Tyler Perry adapted and transformed it into a movie in 2010. For colored girls is centered on nine women as they encounter their fair share of neglect, abuse, pain and harassment both physically and emotionally. They slowly but surely recover from such abuse and discover joy in themselves. The movie begins with the characters as strangers but at the end, they become good friends.

One of the very important key themes of the play, is wealth and social class, which Priestley indicates very clearly. The family’s wealth is immediately suggested by the formal dinner party at the beginning of the play. JB Priestley uses stages directions to describe how the set should like to portray the family’s privileged lifestyle. The furniture, the lighting, the cigars, the port and the champagne all reflect a very easy-going, and comfortable lifestyle yet not “cozy and homelike”, where they take for granted any luxury given or earned. The “solid furniture” also suggests their lack of warmth and comfort in the family’s relationship, and the word ‘solid’, does delineate some of the character’s stubborn personalities.

The Minority Report is a film that tries to stop crimes before they happen, with the enlistment of 3 teen pre-cogs. These pre-cogs predict future murders and the authorities swoop in and arrest the would-be murders, before they have the chance of committing the crime. Even thing goes great until Anderton, a cop played by Tom Cruise, is suspected. Written by Philip K. Dick and then turned to film by Steven Spielberg in 2002, the short story to film became a success. Though there are many differences between the book and the movie, one would think Steven Spielberg would not be able to grab audience’s attention, but with his skills, Spielberg went above and beyond all measures. Many times, novels to films end up being either a great hit

Over 400 hundred years there has been slavery, racism, and discrimination in America with blacks, and other minorities. A famous man once said “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word” – Martin Luther King Jr (brain quote). The movies ‘Miracle at St. Anna’ directed by Spike Lee, and ’12 Years a Slave’ directed by Steve McQueen both show the struggle African Americans went through during a tough racial period in American history. Even today in Modern society African Americans still deal with racism. Spike