Adam Clayton Powell + Black Is…
Black Ain’t (Docurama DVDs)
Picture: C Sound: C Extras: C/C- Documentaries: B-
As the
latest Black History Month approaches, the reliably good slew of programs about
history and the struggle for Civil Rights returns in what I feel is an
ever-vital exercise to have us remember how the past and history affects us
all. Even with a President Obama and
because his success makes it easy to want to suppress how very ugly the racism
and related crimes have been. Docurama
has picked two really good documentaries that give us unique perspectives on
the issues involved and show how complex the history can be.
Richard
Kilberg’s Adam Clayton Powell (1989)
runs only 54 minutes, but tells the amazing story of a black man who passed at
times for white and became a groundbreaking, innovative speaker, politician,
protester, organizer and even helped author the War on Poverty that LBJ signed
into law. The premiere Civil Rights
leader with a long list of firsts to his name, Powell would have troubles by
the 1960s with some self-indulgence that backfired, a Civil Rights movement
that saw him as passé and not radical enough and a man who history has
forgotten more than it should. It is
worth seeing, especially if you do not know who the man is.
Marlon
Riggs was dying of AIDS when he finished Black
Is… Black Ain’t (1995) in a complex look at identity that includes black
and beyond. Not only does this include
gay and show conflicts with religion’s oppressive side, it is very thorough (at
87 minutes long) in dealing with the little-discussed light skinned black/dark
skinned black dichotomy that the community usually struggles with in more
silent terms. He even includes the
subject of sexism and though this can be uneven at times, is an impressive work
that everyone should see at least once.
That
makes for two smart releases that are as timely as ever.
The 1.33
X 1 image in both cases is softer than expected with Powell shot on 16mm film
and though the sources are good, the transfers are older analog masters. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is also flat in
both cases, but audible. Some of the
compression is likely from the transfers and not the sources. Extras on both include Docurama trailers,
text on the filmmakers and Powell adds an on-camera interview with the
director.
- Nicholas Sheffo
