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A few years ago, I put together a list of books to read during Black History Month because I am a big fan of great books. There are, however, many great films with strong lead characters and interesting stories I thought would be of interest to you during Black History Month. Some of these films date back to
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Black Panther: Part of the Marvel Comic’s superhero, Black Panther Civil War, King T’Challa returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne from factions within his own country. When two foes conspire to destroy Wakanda, the hero known as Black Panther must team up with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje, Wakandan special forces, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war. A warrior comes back to fight for his challenge to the throne. This movie is full of visual effects and effectively focuses on one superhero. Don’t expect other Marvel comic characters to appear as this is more about developing a character than fighting the forces of evil in the world.
Classics to Watch Out for
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Every student should read this book. If however, you cannot, you will never go wrong with one of the best adaptation of a book. Gregory Peck stars as a lawyer that is defending a wrongly accused black man. It is gripping story with history and life lessons that still apply today. Peck won an academy award for his portrayal of a southern lawyer that was an anomaly in those times: single father and pro-civil rights humanitarian.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) When a young white woman born into privilege brings home her African-American fiancé, what will the reaction of her parents be. This movie was made in 1967 after the Civil Rights Acts were enacted. A world was rapidly changing but was it ready for this change? Winner of two Academy Awards (for writing and for Katherine Hepburn) even today this movie teaches how far we’ve come, or have we? It is said that this year’s Academy nominated Get Out (2017) is in tune with Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. In this film a white girlfriend brings her black boyfriend to meet her family. As the weekend visit progresses, the boyfriend realizes that there is something seriously amiss in this upstate town. A satirical horror movie this movie is up for four important awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screen Play and Best Actor.
Other notable mentions at during those turbulent times would be: In the Heat of the Night (1967) , To Sir, with Love (1967), Cry, the Beloved Country (UK, 1951) and The Defiant Ones (1958).
Lady Sings the Blues:(1972) The story of legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday. The song originally recorded by Holiday in 1956. The song was also chosen to be the title of the 1956 autobiography by Holiday and author William Dufty. In 1972 a movie starring Diana Ross as Holiday was the first African-American biopic to be nominated for the Academy Awards, earning five nominations, including one for Diana Ross for Best Actress. Although it did not win any Oscars, the soundtrack title song Lady Sings the Blues went to number one for Diana Ross.
Denzel Washington for the WIN
Don’t miss some of the best performances by an African-American in the trifecta of Glory, Malcolm X and Fences. I recently saw Fences and was transfixed with Denzel’s performance. I am not normally a huge fan but I thought he did a fantastic job portraying a man who is wounded by life. I would be disappointed if he did not win an Academy Award for this role.
- Glory (1989): Denzel Washington won an Oscar for Supporting Actor as he portrayed Private Silas Tripp as part of one of the first African-American units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. This is a moving tale of how racism still existed in an army fighting for the emancipation of slavery.
- Malcolm X (1992) Based on the life of Black Panthers leader and Civil Rights Advocate, Malcolm X, Denzel Washing ton is riveting in his portrayal of one of the most important (and controversial) political activists in the 1960s. Written and directed by Spike Lee this is the second of four collaborations with Denzel.
- Fences (2016): A tour de force performance by Denzel Washington as a hard-working blue-collar man bring up his two sons and leading his life on his own terms. Viola Davis plays his loyal and loving wife that has to put up with her husbands hard fast rules and consequences of bad choices. This movie will keep you riveted as the layer upon layer is laid for a story well told. Both actors are nominated for an Academy Awards and the film is up for Best Picture. Really one of the best pictures I saw in 2017. A must see with an almost 100% African American cast.
- Cry Freedom (1987) The film centres on the real-life events involving South African black activist Steve Biko and his friend Donald Woods, who initially finds him destructive, and attempts to understand his way of life. Cry Freedom delves into the ideas of discrimination, political corruption, and the repercussions of violence.
Oprah Winfrey for the Win
- The Color Purple (1985) Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, The Color Purple spans 40 years at the turn of the 20th century telling the story of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), a Southern black woman virtually sold into a life of servitude to her brutal husband, sharecropper Albert (Danny Glover). Celie pours out her innermost thoughts in letter form to her sister Nettie (Akousa Busia). This is a story about family, dysfunctional marriages and persevering betrayal, abuse and poverty. You will be charmed by the direct no-nonsense Sofia (Oprah Winfrey), who empowers Celie only to be beaten into submission for her uppity ways. This film is rich and full of well-developed characters. Everyone will stay with you long after you see this film.
- Beloved (1998) Beloved is the story in which a slave is visited by the spirit of her deceased daughter. Oprah Winfrey re-unites with Danny Glover in this adaptation Pulitzer Prize winning Toni Morrison. If you know anything about Oprah she loves Toni Morrison and Maya Angelo
- Lee Daniel’s The Butler (2013) – Loosely based on the life of Eugene Allen who served a butler for 34 years in the White House under eight presidents. He was there during the civil rights movement, the Vietnam war and other major events rolling out in American history in the 60s, 70s and 80s. After leaving the South as a young man and finding employment at an elite hotel in Washington, D.C., Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is hired as a butler at the White House. Over the course of three decades, Cecil has a front-row seat to history and the inner workings of the Oval Office. However, his commitment to his “First Family” leads to tension at home, alienating his wife (Oprah Winfrey) and causing conflict with his anti-establishment son. We are not used to seeing Oprah as a ‘meany’ but in this film she certainly can be a thorn in his side.
Great Stories with Oscar Winners
- Moonlight (2016) The unexpected winner for Best Picture of the Year in 2017, Moonlight is a powerful coming-of-age film about a young African-American youth. The character is unravelled in three stages of life: childhood, adolescence and as a young adult. Coming to terms with his sexuality as a gay man, this story is riveting.
- The Help (2011) I loved the book. Our book club read the book and had a viewing of the movie one year. It is the story of two housemaids and the families they worked for. A coming of age story of a writer who begins to realize that she cannot agree with the demeaning Jim Crow law being used to segregate whites from blacks in the deep south. Amusing at times this the tour-de-force performance by Viola Davis should have landed her the Academy Award not just the nomination. Get yourself some deviled eggs, a cold drink and a hanky it is THAT good.
- The Blind Side (2009) – The Blind Side nabbed Sandra Bullock many awards – including an Academy Award – for her portrayal of a southern interior designer and football mom to her adopted (and homeless) son Michael Oher. Drifting in and out of the school system for years, Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and her husband, Sean (Tim McGraw), take him in and eventually become Michael’s legal guardians. This is a story of a young African American football player who went on to play in the NFL after he received multiple college scholarship offers.
- Django Unchained (2012) Although I am not a fan of Quinten Tarentino, I am a fan of Jamie Foxx and Christoph Schultz. This film is the quest of a slave who is sold to a bounty hunter. He then becomes a bounty hunter also. This is not a film for the faint of heart as some scenes can be very violent but the story of redemption and strength and ultimately love when he is reunited with his wife is a great one. It is Waltz that takes the Oscar home for his portrayal of the German bounty hunter.
- Hidden Figures (2017) One of my favourite films of 2017, I love this true story of three women who were instrumental in the NASA program to get a man to the moon. The three are ‘computers’ women that work on mathematical calculations. One eventually becomes an aerospace engineer, one is the first African-American supervisor working with a massive IBM computer and the last was on the team who helped put John Glen into space. It is compelling and a great role model for all women.
- Shawshank Redemption (US, 1994) A man finds himself in prison for a murder he did not commit. Sentenced to life imprisonment, we see his life in prison and his relationship with Redding, another long-time prisoner who shows him the ropes of how to survive in this inhospitable and violent world. This story is about corruption, survival and hope in the life of a prisoner in the 50s & 60s and how over 19 years, he slowly dug an escape tunnel and flees to Mexico. With seven Oscar nominations, the most for a any Stephen King adaptation but alas it won none.
Honourable Mentions
- Mississippi Burning (1988)
- Monster’s Ball (2001)
- Ragtime (1981)
- Selma (2014)
- The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)
- Ali (2001)
- Amistad (1997)
There are so many films that have great African-American actors, writers and directors and I hope that we continue to see a resurgence in film. Black History Month lets us focus on the people and events that have made a difference in this community. We are seeing more and more diversity in film and I hope this is a trend that will continue. This year’s Oscar best film nominations include Jordon Peele who is nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for Get Out (a film you can find on Netflix). I’m going to have to watch before the Academy Awards on March 4th.
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Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.