African American Film Class

  This week's film of Shaft was by far my favorite film thus far. This film centers around a man named John Shaft who is a private detective working in New York City. Shaft is contacted by Bumpy Jonas, who is the head of a mob located in Harlem, and wants to hire him to locate his daughter, Marcy Jonas, who was kidnapped by white mobsters in New York. Bumpy gives Shaft some information of who he thinks might be involved in it and mentions the name of Ben Buford. Shaft agrees to help Bumpy find his daughter with the information he has and can find.  In this film, shaft is seen to have connections with both the Black and the White community in Harlem. Shaft is contacted by NYPD Lieutenant Vic Androzzi who asks him several questions about Bumpy and his whereabouts. Lieutenant assumes that Shaft and Bumpy know one another.   Shaft chooses not to say much because he doesn't feel that he can totally trust Vic. Vic warns Shaft about the potential race war that might take p...

  The film Raisin in the Sun focuses on the lives of the Youngers and their own dreams. The film was written by Lorraine Hansberry, a very talented writer. She herself wrote this play based on her own experience of African American struggles going on in America during that time. The film stars many actors including Walter Lee, Lena, Ruth, Beneatha , Travis as the main intermediate family members. The Youngers are not rich, but instead they represent the working-class family. All of these family members have dreams and aspirations that they feel will occur once they are gifted with the insurance check money that they have been long awaiting to arrive at their home in the South side of Chicago. Everyone has a dream in this film. Langston Hughes' popular poem on this asks the question that I believe is the basis of this very film in which it says “What happens to a dream deferred?  Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” Walter’s dream is to open a liquor store with the insura...

  The film Stormy Weather was vibrant and was a great film for the black culture during that time that still resonates today. The plot was pretty simple including the main characters being Bill Robinson, who is an army man coming back from war trying to become a performer and Selena Rogers who is a glamorous singer. Bill wants to be with Selena, but their careers get in the way as they both become more successful. They don’t see each other anymore and continue performing as well. They soon reunite on the musical stage again in a big way.  Many popular entertainers such as Cab Calloway, and Fats Waller are seen in this film and they are in my opinion, the best musical acts out of all shown.  In Stormy weather there three main things that stood out to me were the overwhelming African American representation, display of the arts, and moments showing changes to the usual status quote.  The overwhelming African American Representation was shown in full effect with this fi...

      In the film entitled “Imitation of Life” we see a riveting plot structure take place and many issues exposed in the film that many people go through.  In this film, we first see.  Lora Meredith who is searching for her child on the beach. She comes across Steve Archer who helps her find her baby girl Susie. Susie is then seen with a new friend she found on the beach named Sarah Jane and her mother Annie Johnson. Susie reunites with her mother and then Annie talks with Lora. They are both single mothers raising their daughters with not much background about the children's father. Lora and Susie are black while Sarah Jane and Annie are black. This distinct difference in race creates for a good plot because it shares struggles within the black community that Lora and Susie don’t have to go through.   Lora ends up inviting them to live with them in return for them being so helpful. While they begin to live together, we see Lora on a quest to become a...