spike lee
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- jondj240
yes, true.
i agree.
- chossy0
Ask if martin laurence plays a better black relief cop that eddie murphy, and ask wether or not the wayans brothers will ever stop making high brow comedies and start making trash that we can all appreciate.
- kingjulien0
Yes. jondji24, I think documentaries can handle these themes in a more sophisticated way. I mean, Hoop Dreams still gets me choked up.
- kingjulien0
Agreed, Harlequino, that was well said indeed, although I think the real issues of racism are multi-varied, and too complex to pinpoint in just one example. Of course money and jobs and education are a significant part of this, although I also think most black academics would point to the crisis in leadership, both in black America, and obviously, with our current national political landscape. I think, as ugly as the 1960's were, there were real leaders: Malcolm, MLK, Bobby Kennedy, JFK, that fought for real change, and people believed in their sincerity. Now everything seems like posturing, and guys like Sharpton and Jesse are just ambulance chasers.
p.s. Mattyd, that was the scene I was referring to. Thanks.
- jondj240
maybe it can only be in documentary form though. ?!?
- harlequino0
A race relations movie can/should be re-done and it has to touch upon all different viewpoints and circumstances (tough accomplishment).
jondj24
(Aug 14 06, 12:32)Yes.
And it should have Smurfs in it too.
:D
- jondj240
damn good topic, too bad it cannot be handled in person...
i think we can all agree. A race relations movie can/should be re-done and it has to touch upon all different viewpoints and circumstances (tough accomplishment).
- harlequino0
I think that Haggis guy did everyone who is ultimately at the mercy of racism an enormous disservice, and put "the man" at even greater ease than he is now.
How convenient to wrap the ills of racism into cute little tartlets of sterotypes, absurd coincidences, and white guilt.
Isn't the real evil of racism the fact that affirmative even needs to exist, or that the kids at the white school get the federal funsding for books they need, while the black shool three blocks up doesn't?
For shame...
- jondj240
awh yes, i see...similar ideas, different techniques.
- mattyd040
'i want you to make me look ugly' is from 25th hour.
the scene we are referring to is linked here somewhere, kingjulien. or, just go to youtbue and type in'25th hour fuck you' it will come up.
- kingjulien0
Also what scene in Do The Right Thing, do they say 'i want you to make me look ugly?' Not seeing the correlation between the two. help me?
jondj24
(Aug 14 06, 12:21)Perhaps I'm confused here, since I haven't watched 25th Hour in 4 years. Wasn't there a scene structured in the same manner as that Do The Right Thing clip that was linked in this thread, where all the different racial stereotypes come out in a monologue spoken directly at the camera?
- Mimio0
Always liked the floating ephinanies his characters have all squared up with the camera.
- kingjulien0
The guy who made Crash was carjacked by two black guys in LA about 10 years ago. At first, he had all these racist thoughts. Then he began to feel guilty about them, and rather than do the deep thinking required to make sense of everything, he tried to compensate by explaining the root causes of black crime in a half-hearted, politically correct way. Ultimately he resorted to silly cliches and half truths that our Blockbuster, American Idol culture viewed as profound, which is far more troubling than Spike Lee's narrow minded vision of race relations.
Give me a little Cornel West and Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. any day.
- jondj240
Jungle Fever doesn't touch on the grey area's of race/racism?
I watched a Fellini movie last night. great stuff.
modern day director that has had an impact on a culture as Spike?
Also what scene in Do The Right Thing, do they say 'i want you to make me look ugly?' Not seeing the correlation between the two. help me?
agreed about Crash.
- mattyd040
one thing he hasn't tackled yet are vietamese nail salons.
- harlequino0
But it's like that horrid movie Crash. It presents everything in stereotypes, and fails to account for the grey space in between.
kingjulien
(Aug 14 06, 12:12)Sweet fucking Christ it's nice to hear someone else say that!
That douche has to be one of the most arrogant and irresponsible writers and filmmakers ever.
- harlequino0
oh wait you mean movies, right.
I dunno.
Probably Godard for the French. And Fellini for the Italians.
- kingjulien0
how can race/racism be a trite subject matter when we are faced with it everyday? some ignore its problems all together.
jondj24
(Aug 14 06, 12:04)Race itself is not trite subject matter. In fact, I wish more artists confronted this topic in their work. But it's like that horrid movie Crash. It presents everything in stereotypes, and fails to account for the grey space in between. It's like Spike Lee makes every white cop racist. Okay, we know about the problems with the NYPD and the LAPD. But not every white cop assaults black men with plungers. Not every Italian guy compensates for his desire to be more black by resorting to racist insults. Not very Korean grocery store owner is exploiting the black community.The scene that MattyD pointed out is a perfect example. Spike copied the exact same scene in Do the Right Thing for 25th Hour. How is that evolving as a thinker and as an artist? How is that really getting at the foundation of racism (which, interestingly enough, has more to do with class than skin color)?
- harlequino0
MLK?
- flavorful0
Wilt Chamberlain?