This movie is racist towards black people
it completely demeans the african american ethnic group
shareI am sick and tired of seeing Blacks portrayed in this manner because poverty and hardship has no colour but is afflicted on many in this world -- from all walks of life.
I wish that these Black Film Makers would start broadening their horizon by making films that touches on more universal topics. The same way that it is accepted by society that a White film maker can make a film about espionage, terrorism, war, and such -- it's time for Black film makers to start doing the same. They need to branch out on their topics so that no particular group becomes singled out and typecast. Blacks are not the only ones who are poor in America and this should be made clear by Black Film Makers. They seem to have a one-track mind -- and in the process they are helping to promote a negative view of a large group of people -- made up of various economic and educational levels -- and relegating them into this tiny box. You cannot box people in like that and not anger people sooner or later.
That's weird, because when they make a film depicting white people who are poor, you guys say, "This is unrealistic. This should have been about black people."
I want Truth, Reality, Veracity.....not your narrow-minded view on what is or isn't the standard perception of every single black person who ever walked the Earth.
when they make a film depicting white people who are poor, you guys say, "This is unrealistic. This should have been about black people."
Yeah, that never happens.
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In your heart, you know he's right... share
"I wish that these Black Film Makers would start broadening their horizon by making films that touches on more universal topics."
I agree. Martin Scorsese has made many films about Catholicism, Italian Americans, and the mafia, but that's not all he does. It seems like any time a movie about black people (or made by black people) is a hit, it's about the inner city, crime, or domestic abuse. Spike Lee's got the right idea and he makes all sorts of different movies in different genres in addition to films about black culture (that aren't always about criminals).
I agree, black comedians are the same. White comedians can talk about anything and make it comedy, most black comedians just talk about the diff between black folks and white folks
shareBlack people are not the only poor people in America, but a larger proportion of Black Americans are low income. That comes from racism, not this film itself.
Secondly, it's based on a book, written by a black woman, which is her perspective of being black.
Has Sapphire said that the film's interpretation is racist? not that I've read.
It seems more like you're ashamed to be associated with poverty because of the colour of your skin, than the film is really saying 'all black people are poor' - because it's not.
Nailed it Obby.
shareI wish that these Black Film Makers would start broadening their horizon by making films that touches on more universal topics.
There are loads of films about middle-class black people if you know where to look for them. Mainstream movie-goers often don't know about them because they're usually labelled as "black films" and will typically have a smaller budget.
The problem isn't so much with black film makers as it is with white America not being ready to accept stories about middle-class black people.
As your post was written two years ago, I'd like to think things are changing on that front. I suspect they haven't yet though. share
"The problem isn't so much with black film makers as it is with white America not being ready to accept stories about middle-class black people"
Oh for Pete's sake, we've got "Soul Food", "For Colored Girls", "Pariah", "Save the Last Dance", "After Earth" as the poster after me pointed out, not to mention films with a group of main characters like "Grand Canyon".
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@Yah
Obviously you don't watch a lot of black films, because all of them aren't about life in the ghetto and all that. There are already a lot of black filmmakers making other things. Go to the site Shadow and Act and look them up. And, honestly, the OP's statement is ridiculous, and just plain stupid,since it was black people who made this film---do all films about black people have to show us as perfect all the time? Hell no! Black people should be portrayed onscreen with as much range and complexity as possible.
And it's not black filmmakers that have a one-track mind---it's Hollywood that has always had a one-track mind when it comes to promoting black films---they will only promote the stereotypical kind, or anything by Tyler Perry, since his films are proven money makers--period. Black indie filmmakers don't get their work pushed as much as white indie filmmakers do, and that's the truth.