When we think of American cinema we would do well to think of it as global cinema since the movies the United States produces are by far the most popular. Taking a look at how we got here it is apparent that it takes all kinds of people to make versatile and successful films. But the dark history of American film is still worth learning so as to know what underappreciated minorities felt like trying to land roles in the past. In fact one of the most revolutionary moments in film history is overshadowed by the tasteless writing of the film.
While regarded as the first "talkie" it is clear to see why
The Jazz Singer was problematic. While it was a technological feat of the time to have audio synced to a film this movies concept was created on the basis that Al Jolson's character thought he needed to wear blackface to sing jazz in clubs. If you think this is bad let's go back a little further.
Birth of a Nation. If you're a film buff you probably know about this one already. Released in 1915 this racist propaganda featured white actors painted to look like African Americans terrorizing white people until the "heroes" (the Ku Klux Klan) save the day by denying them the right to vote and meeting them with violence. This movie was absolutely disgusting but proved effective in sparking violence against African Americans.
In early film African Americans were essentially used as props and things to make jokes out of. They were only put into the movies for novelty. Hattie Mcdaniel, popularly known as "Mammy" from
Gone with the Wind (1940) was the first African American to win an Oscar. She realized that many of her roles were meant to exploit her (such as playing a maid or slave character 74 times) but she felt it was important to all African Americans that she used her career as a stepping stone for others. She was a very down to Earth women and was quoted as saying that she would rather make more money playing a maid than being one. She was a pioneer who suffered through degrading roles so modern actors of all races could have their shot,
she was something of an icon.
20 years later things got better but not by a ton. Looking at a popular movie from the time called
Breakfast at Tiffany's we still see white actors dressing as other races, not cool to say the least. Mickey Rooney's character Mr. Yunoshi was essentially a racist caricature of an Asian man which was part of an Oscar winning film. Yes, they won multiple awards despite
this. This was the tip of the iceberg during this time, western movies often portrayed Native Americans and Asians in horribly offensive lights. These role had a lasting cultural impact on Asian actors that is just now being shaken off today with popular films featuring predominately Asian casts such as
Crazy Rich Asians. Which, by the way, is a fairly exceptional film which shows part of the rich Asian/Asian American culture. It does a nice job of showcasing high quality Asian actors. And I also can't help but shout out one of my favorite actors of Asian descent, Daniel Dae Kim (this is the part where I plug
Hawaii Five-O
Now let's move on to the invention of
Blaxploitation films. Around the 70's a new genre began to emerge that played to African American stereotypes. These movies were usually hard hitting action movies with outrageously stereotypical themes. Over the top is the best phrase I can use to describe these films. While some of these movies were wildly offensive, others landed black actors in leading roles in new genres. One movie that I believe is still watchable and enjoyable by today's standards is
Shaft. While they do have some clear issues I feel like Shaft was one of the first black action heroes, Richard Roundtree was the man before Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel Washington. I think it's fitting that Jackson carried on the Shaft legacy years later in recent films. In the last 20 years the blaxploitation genre has taken a turn. It now produces fantastic comedy/action hybrid films such as
Superfly, Shaft (2019, I highly recommend this sequel if you like gratuitous action and one liners), and
BlacKkKlansman. In some ways back in the day blaxploitation films allowed African Americans to take their power back and used some of the stereotypes that some people used to keep them down in Hollywood to make highly successful films.
Let's talk about legends. Men like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, Lawrence Fishburne, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, and James Earl Jones. I grew up watching all of these men's films from
Beverly Hills Cop to
Man on Fire. In fact one of my favorite movies is Denzel Washington's
The Equalizer. These men have never been locked into roles based on their race. They were all versatile actors who did not settle for niche stereotypical roles. The only time they leaned into it these stereotypes is when they felt like it, no one would force them to do something they didn't want to do. As someone of Caucasian/Native American descent these men still inspired me. They transcended race and became absolute Hollywood powerhouses. I used to pretend to be Mace Windu with my little plastic purple light saber, tell me that isn't a major impact.
Top 50 Black Actors of All Time
Modern times are looking great for minorities in film. From legendary African American historical films such as
12 Years a Slave, 42, and
The Butler, to new age movies like
Moonlight. Many roles are open to any race these days as long as the actor fits the part. Actresses like the absolutely gorgeous Zazie Beetz being cast as Domino in
Deadpool 2, recent news of Zoe Kravitz being cast as Catwoman for Matt Reeves
Batman, or Jeffery Wright as James Gordon in the same upcoming film. One big break is the casting of the new Little Mermaid, her name is Halle Bailey and she is an up and coming African American actor. Movies like
Black Panther and
Get Out have been wildly popular and have launched a new wave of minorities pulling up their seats at the Hollywood table and personally I love it. It takes all kinds to make films. The future looks bright especially in the superhero genre in addition to the two characters mentioned earlier we have many upcoming films with actors of many ethnic backgrounds such as the varied cast of
The Eternals, Blade, and
Shang-Chi.
I couldn't end this post without mentioning Tyler Perry. Tyler Perry has been making African American led films for decades. His famous character Madea has graced the screens of family's of all races globally. As a film critic I can't deny the contributions he's had to furthering the roles of minorities in films. He presented stories that gave a look into the lives of African Americans for those who grew up differently.
Think about it like this, someone watching a movie about a predominantly African american experience like the events in
Boyz N The Hood who grew up in a wealthy all white neighborhood might view it differently than someone like me who spent years in a low income crime ridden part of a seedy city. It's easier for some people of other races to identify with these movies but they do a good job of giving insight into the worlds of others. Overall I think films have helped people come closer together as humans. They give us unique insight into situations we couldn't possibly understand otherwise.
