Chaining Django
Have you watched the movie Django Unchained?
Apparently a lot of people have watched it and the reviews are about as mixed as the flavors in melted Neapolitan ice cream. You thought I was about to make a race reference didn't you? Well, to appease and satisfy your hunger for a race reference, here goes:
It appears that most of the white movie goers who have seen this movie praise it and think Quentin Tarantino did an outstanding job of telling a story, and directing a piece that is not meant to be factually correct in regards to the time period in which the film takes place. I think the Rick Ross song in the film and the one man wrecking crew ability of Django will solidify that argument. From what I've read on Facebook walls and message boards is that white people don't see what the big deal is regarding the selfish acts displayed by Django and the "Uncle Tom" ways of Stephen played by Samuel L. Jackson or the excessive use of the "N" word.
It appears that black movie goers who have watched this movie went out in strong numbers (42% of the audience according to the Hollywood Reporter) when it was released. Exit data shows that now only 30% of the audience is black when the movie is shown. How and when these statistics are gathered, I don't know as I wasn't asked my race or gender when I purchased my ticket, but that's not the point. It seems that the numbers have declined by 12 percent and it also seems that black movie goers who have watched this movie are either offended or thought it was a great movie.
Spike Lee, who did not and refuses to see the movie, claimed the movie is disrespectful to his ancestors therefore he cannot watch it out of respect for them. I wonder if Spike Lee has watched BET or listened to some of the music that is posing as hip hop these days or watched a music video by those posing... acts. Sorry, I couldn't bring myself to call them artists.
Does the name Trinidad James offend Spike Lee or his ancestors?
I have "met" Spike Lee in an office where I worked a couple of years ago and oddly enough, he nearly ignored me and spoke to only the white people in the office. Would his ancestors have walked into a room or field of mostly white people and one black male and not acknowledge them? Possibly, if the William Lynch tactics of breaking the mind so that the body follows were in practice. But, when Spike walked into the office, the year was 2010. We were not on a plantation and he was actually being courted so that he would direct a commercial for this company where I happened to be working. He was the most important person in the room, and yet he walked by me seated at my desk as if I were invisible. Was I not black enough to get his attention? I'll touch on that in a second and may have to revisit that in a post devoted to that issue.
I have read posts by fellow black artists who have the same reaction to Django Unchained as Spike Lee, however, they've seen the film. One of my friends has vowed to write and stage a play or film or perhaps both in response to the film.
Here's my response...
I'm black. I'm a black male. I went to see this movie with an Italian/Irish/Puerto Rican woman who was just as excited to see this movie as I, if not more excited. The movie theater was an amalgamation of races ranging from black, white, Asian, Hispanic, and more. All seemed to enjoy it.
I was neither offended nor greatly entertained by the movie. I thought that the first 1:45 of the movie was great! I thought the camera angles and shots were clever. I thought the performances in that section of the movie were brilliant and the pace of the piece moved along nicely and I knew what was going on and what Dr. Schultz and Django's objectives were. I was actually rooting for them during this part of the movie and was having a great time. Yes, the violence was over the top and the blood splatter was a bit much. However, if you go to watch a Tarantino movie, you know that is part of his formula. You are in a sense asking for it. Did I enjoy seeing black males in chains? No, but I knew I would see that before I paid money to see it. Hell, you see Jamie Foxx's scarred back in the trailer. Did I enjoy watching black men being viewed as fighting dogs called "Mandingos"? No! However, that happened in history, just like slavery and it's something that people try to forget. The use of the infamous word nigger was in my opinion not over used. It was used just as much then as it is used today. Back then, in the 1800's, the word was used as a derogatory term to label and belittle black people. Today, it's use is so cavalier I find it down right comical that the very black people who frequently use the word, found it offensive. I do NOT use the word and tend to bristle each time I hear it regardless of by whom it is spoken. It is not cool to me, it is not acceptable to me if a black person says it. I take just as much offense if not more because of how backwards it is for black people to continue to use a word that was meant to make them feel less than equal. Black readers, do not give me that shit about taking ownership of the word and making it our own. I'm not sold and I was never interested in buying. Having been called nigger at the age of eleven in Paris, KY by white people with the venom of hatred dripping from their lips as they shouted the insult at my cousin and me, I cannot fathom a scenario in which I could find it acceptable or cool to be called that. I know that I'm not that which I was called and therefore find it disrespectful whenever ANYONE calls me that regardless of race. That does not make me any less cool, any less down, and certainly not any less black.
I have to stay on task and not go on a tangential rant...
The things I did not like about the film were it's length and the lack of love story and chemistry between Django and his wife Broomhilda. If that was the reason he set out to do what he did, I sure as hell didn't see it because it wasn't shown. I was disappointed to a degree with Django not doing more to help black people but then I had to remind myself, this was not the biopic of Nat Turner, it was a spaghetti western. I knew that there would be some uncomfortable moments (whipping of Broomhilda, the character of Stephen, Mandingos fighting) and I knew there would be some funny moments (the debacle that was the upstart KKK, the demise of Lara Lee).
Do I think my ancestors would be upset with this film? I do think there are moments in it that would upset them greatly, however, I don't know if this movie is actually about slavery.
Black people and black artists. If you are tired of seeing movies about us and our history/American history/WORLD history made by white artists, start writing, directing, producing and releasing those projects. Do not let distribution get in your way. Do not let money get in your way. If you want something done, do it. As a black man, I am fed up with hearing so many excuses from the mouths of my people detailing why we "can't". Can't, never could and never will. There are enough of us who are talented, intelligent and successful with resources necessary to make the projects we claim to so badly want made and seen. What we have yet to learn is how to unite our talents and resources for the whole so that our story is told. We still kill each other and hate on each other too much to do anything productive. White people support white people. Hispanics support Hispanics and Asians definitely take care of their own. I'm sure there are a lot of black people reading this right now thinking to themselves, "This Uncle Tom nigga" or "Doesn't this nigga date white girls?" If that is what is on your mind after reading this post, your mind is still broken, which is just as dangerous to "the cause" as corner liquor stores, drugs, guns and self hatred.
If you aren't black and you were offended by Django Unchained and want to tell the story your way, by all means have at it! Slavery didn't just effect black people or people of color.
Go see this movie or don't. However, if you don't see it what say do you have in the discussion? All you have to go by is what other people say. That doesn't give you power, it makes you reliant on someone else's opinion. This movie inspired me to continue to be conscious of the decisions I make when auditioning for and accepting roles. If no one wants to cast me in roles that I want to play or in shows that depict images I support and share messages in which I believe, I will create my own roles and shows and movies. If you feel that the story of Django should have remained chained, here's your chance to unchain your version or the story you would like to tell.
Apparently a lot of people have watched it and the reviews are about as mixed as the flavors in melted Neapolitan ice cream. You thought I was about to make a race reference didn't you? Well, to appease and satisfy your hunger for a race reference, here goes:
It appears that most of the white movie goers who have seen this movie praise it and think Quentin Tarantino did an outstanding job of telling a story, and directing a piece that is not meant to be factually correct in regards to the time period in which the film takes place. I think the Rick Ross song in the film and the one man wrecking crew ability of Django will solidify that argument. From what I've read on Facebook walls and message boards is that white people don't see what the big deal is regarding the selfish acts displayed by Django and the "Uncle Tom" ways of Stephen played by Samuel L. Jackson or the excessive use of the "N" word.
It appears that black movie goers who have watched this movie went out in strong numbers (42% of the audience according to the Hollywood Reporter) when it was released. Exit data shows that now only 30% of the audience is black when the movie is shown. How and when these statistics are gathered, I don't know as I wasn't asked my race or gender when I purchased my ticket, but that's not the point. It seems that the numbers have declined by 12 percent and it also seems that black movie goers who have watched this movie are either offended or thought it was a great movie.
Spike Lee, who did not and refuses to see the movie, claimed the movie is disrespectful to his ancestors therefore he cannot watch it out of respect for them. I wonder if Spike Lee has watched BET or listened to some of the music that is posing as hip hop these days or watched a music video by those posing... acts. Sorry, I couldn't bring myself to call them artists.
Does the name Trinidad James offend Spike Lee or his ancestors?
I have "met" Spike Lee in an office where I worked a couple of years ago and oddly enough, he nearly ignored me and spoke to only the white people in the office. Would his ancestors have walked into a room or field of mostly white people and one black male and not acknowledge them? Possibly, if the William Lynch tactics of breaking the mind so that the body follows were in practice. But, when Spike walked into the office, the year was 2010. We were not on a plantation and he was actually being courted so that he would direct a commercial for this company where I happened to be working. He was the most important person in the room, and yet he walked by me seated at my desk as if I were invisible. Was I not black enough to get his attention? I'll touch on that in a second and may have to revisit that in a post devoted to that issue.
I have read posts by fellow black artists who have the same reaction to Django Unchained as Spike Lee, however, they've seen the film. One of my friends has vowed to write and stage a play or film or perhaps both in response to the film.
Here's my response...
I'm black. I'm a black male. I went to see this movie with an Italian/Irish/Puerto Rican woman who was just as excited to see this movie as I, if not more excited. The movie theater was an amalgamation of races ranging from black, white, Asian, Hispanic, and more. All seemed to enjoy it.
I was neither offended nor greatly entertained by the movie. I thought that the first 1:45 of the movie was great! I thought the camera angles and shots were clever. I thought the performances in that section of the movie were brilliant and the pace of the piece moved along nicely and I knew what was going on and what Dr. Schultz and Django's objectives were. I was actually rooting for them during this part of the movie and was having a great time. Yes, the violence was over the top and the blood splatter was a bit much. However, if you go to watch a Tarantino movie, you know that is part of his formula. You are in a sense asking for it. Did I enjoy seeing black males in chains? No, but I knew I would see that before I paid money to see it. Hell, you see Jamie Foxx's scarred back in the trailer. Did I enjoy watching black men being viewed as fighting dogs called "Mandingos"? No! However, that happened in history, just like slavery and it's something that people try to forget. The use of the infamous word nigger was in my opinion not over used. It was used just as much then as it is used today. Back then, in the 1800's, the word was used as a derogatory term to label and belittle black people. Today, it's use is so cavalier I find it down right comical that the very black people who frequently use the word, found it offensive. I do NOT use the word and tend to bristle each time I hear it regardless of by whom it is spoken. It is not cool to me, it is not acceptable to me if a black person says it. I take just as much offense if not more because of how backwards it is for black people to continue to use a word that was meant to make them feel less than equal. Black readers, do not give me that shit about taking ownership of the word and making it our own. I'm not sold and I was never interested in buying. Having been called nigger at the age of eleven in Paris, KY by white people with the venom of hatred dripping from their lips as they shouted the insult at my cousin and me, I cannot fathom a scenario in which I could find it acceptable or cool to be called that. I know that I'm not that which I was called and therefore find it disrespectful whenever ANYONE calls me that regardless of race. That does not make me any less cool, any less down, and certainly not any less black.
I have to stay on task and not go on a tangential rant...
The things I did not like about the film were it's length and the lack of love story and chemistry between Django and his wife Broomhilda. If that was the reason he set out to do what he did, I sure as hell didn't see it because it wasn't shown. I was disappointed to a degree with Django not doing more to help black people but then I had to remind myself, this was not the biopic of Nat Turner, it was a spaghetti western. I knew that there would be some uncomfortable moments (whipping of Broomhilda, the character of Stephen, Mandingos fighting) and I knew there would be some funny moments (the debacle that was the upstart KKK, the demise of Lara Lee).
Do I think my ancestors would be upset with this film? I do think there are moments in it that would upset them greatly, however, I don't know if this movie is actually about slavery.
Black people and black artists. If you are tired of seeing movies about us and our history/American history/WORLD history made by white artists, start writing, directing, producing and releasing those projects. Do not let distribution get in your way. Do not let money get in your way. If you want something done, do it. As a black man, I am fed up with hearing so many excuses from the mouths of my people detailing why we "can't". Can't, never could and never will. There are enough of us who are talented, intelligent and successful with resources necessary to make the projects we claim to so badly want made and seen. What we have yet to learn is how to unite our talents and resources for the whole so that our story is told. We still kill each other and hate on each other too much to do anything productive. White people support white people. Hispanics support Hispanics and Asians definitely take care of their own. I'm sure there are a lot of black people reading this right now thinking to themselves, "This Uncle Tom nigga" or "Doesn't this nigga date white girls?" If that is what is on your mind after reading this post, your mind is still broken, which is just as dangerous to "the cause" as corner liquor stores, drugs, guns and self hatred.
If you aren't black and you were offended by Django Unchained and want to tell the story your way, by all means have at it! Slavery didn't just effect black people or people of color.
Go see this movie or don't. However, if you don't see it what say do you have in the discussion? All you have to go by is what other people say. That doesn't give you power, it makes you reliant on someone else's opinion. This movie inspired me to continue to be conscious of the decisions I make when auditioning for and accepting roles. If no one wants to cast me in roles that I want to play or in shows that depict images I support and share messages in which I believe, I will create my own roles and shows and movies. If you feel that the story of Django should have remained chained, here's your chance to unchain your version or the story you would like to tell.
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