May 7, 20214 min read

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: Chadwick Boseman's Swan Song

Updated: Jan 30, 2023

Reviews by:

@the_owlseyes

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Cultural appropriation has always been an issue. It has always been here and it affects almost every aspect of our society. Recently it has been used by our "politically correct" media to underline how it's a form of discrmination. The latest movie which has criticized it is Parasite, by having Korean people wearing Native American clothes without knowing their meaning and attributing them to the American culture. Even though this is a sharp banter toward the American culture, sometimes this cultural appropriation is dumb. There're people who acts and dress like Afro-american for no reason. There's one thing which goes beyond the simple dressing and acting: the music's culture. You could think that's all about rap and R&B but it actually goes back to the births of Soul and Jazz. This story, a true story, is about that.

PLOT

"Tensions rise when trailblazing blues singer Ma Rainey and her band gather at a recording studio in Chicago in 1927" or "White producers are dicks with afro-american artists".

SCRIPT

It's a simple script which revolves around Ma Rainey's band and her producers. There're ten characters but it focuses around two of them, Ma Rainey and her trumpeter Levee Green. The movie starts in medias res, when the band is already formed and performing. From the first scenes you'll get hints about Green's personality and desires and his tricky relationship with Ma. The story unfold as a climax, escalating to something unexpected in the last act, but it drags a bit during the central act, because it's characterized by a lot of exposition from the characters to define their personalities and history. The movie does it only with the band but it lacks it for the other players, especially the producers, who are portrayed as an opposing force, to underline the intended social commentary of the movie. There're no story archs because it's about a concept which has never changed. Nonetheless the characters are given a certain depth which hard to craft in less than two hours and I appreciated a lot how they managed Green. The ending gets you unexpectedly. It happens quietly and it shocks you quietly, leaving you with a sense of bitterness. This is when you'll understand the movie's central theme.

Script: 8/10

ACTING

Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis give a stellar performance. Especially Boseman, who shows his multiple talents. He sings, dance and play the part with depth and passion. He's able to make you feel for him, even though is character does despicable things and usually is haughty. The supporting cast shines but it's eclipsed by the main stars. In the end is a small cast, like a theater's one, and in a certain sense gives you more closure to the performances of every member.

Acting: 9/10

PHOTOGRAPHY

Light has a relevant role here. It symbolizes freedom and the lack of it is usually used in the room where the players reharse and talk. The producers doesn't get this kind of symbolism and are shot always the same way. Shades are used well but sometimes the light is too flat. Colors aren't used a lot and, in fact there're a lot of black, grey and yellow shades, probably to stick with the period style. Overall it's decent but it isn't interesting.

Photography: 6/10

EDITING

The first introductory shot is pretty effective but it's the only one which caught my attention. The others are mediocre and get better only when the band plays something or someone sings a song. The last shot, which is a sharp transition from Levee's frame to a white soul band, it's well done and adds weight to the scene. It's sad that only the first and last shot are interesting.

Editing: 5/10

SPECIAL EFFECTS

It's a practical set, like a theater's play. There's no cgi but it seems like Viola Davis is wearing a suit to fit her character body conformation. It's a bit visible sometimes but it doesn't hurt the experience.

Special Effects: 6/10

SOUNDTRACK

The music takes a central role here and it's just beautiful. Viola Davis is clearly dubbed but Chadwick Boseman sings his lyrics and it's marvellous. The sondtrack fits the movie's style and it's strongly linked to the songs performed by the band. Sometimes isn't effective but overall it's good and pleasant. Not by chance Ma Rainey is regarded as the "Mother of Blues" because she bridged early vaudeville and southern blues.

Soundtrack: 8/10

COSTUMES

These're coherent with the period in which is set the movie. I liked the color's choices and Ma Rainey's dress, because it sticks to the original look of the singer. These have a relevant fole for the plot because the last act is determined by a shoe, which is teased in the first minutes.

Costumes: 6/10

CONCLUSION

Script: 8/10

Acting: 9/10

Photography: 6/10

Editing: 5/10

Special Effects: 6/10

Soundtrack: 8/10

Costumes: 6/10

AVERAGE: 6,85

It's a good movie but it isn't paced very well, which could make it boring after a while. The music and the actors performances are what elevates this motion picture. The social commentary is on point and well executed but it doesn't take a lot of time to explain the point of view of the "villains". You could like it if you're a music fan, especially of blues and jazz, or you could it anyway because of the amount of talent which is on display here. This is the last movie of Chadwick Boseman and I think that he gives the performance of his life here. He did while being ill, colon cancer, and it isn't the only movie which he did with this illness. He died prematurely cause of that. I think that he deserved an Oscar for this movie, even though the Oscars aren't relevant today as in the past, but the Academy has its agenda, unfortunately. Life isn't fair, not even if you're a movie star.

By @the_owlseyes

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