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    I Am Not Your Negro

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    “I Am Not Your Negro” has the impact of a volcanic eruption, and not only because it’s championing a righteous cause. This is one of the most inspired and vivid documentaries I’ve ever seen.

    Based on James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript “Remember this House”, the picture uses Baldwin’s words (as narrated by Samuel L. Jackson) to shine a spotlight on the history of racism in the United States.

    The use of typography throughout; the graphic design in the title screens; the way the archival footage is used to reinforce the words spoken; the editing techniques and the way it serves to make the film's points clear, precise and infallible; the choices of music; the way a photo will be carefully cropped to lead you to think one thing and then revealed completely to show the full scope of what is being said. These tools bring to the foreground this story, a story that continues still. You won’t believe, not for a second that the skeleton that holds this piece upright is an unfinished, 30-page manuscript. I’ve never read any of Baldwin’s works. I’d never even heard of him before I sat down in the theater. Having heard his words, I now have a portrait of what he was like, an understanding that is profoundly intimate. “I Am Not Your Negro” is provocative; it’s also a fascinating character study.

    When I looked at the poster and saw Jackson’s name on it, I became worried. Don’t get me wrong. The man’s a great actor, but his on-screen presence comes with a certain imagery. I wanted to get lost in Baldwin's elegant words, and I did. There’s something about the delivery: the solemn tone, mixed in with Baldwin’s penwork gives Jackson an entirely new identity. I never thought, for a single second, “Why is Afro Samurai telling me about Martin Luther King, Jr. ? ”

    There are a lot of ideas explored here, including some that left me uneasy. The strength of the picture is that it allows you to understand things you could not grasp before. I understand better than ever how images that had/have nothing to do with racism (at one point there is a choice clip of 1933’s “King Kong”, for example) can become poisoned by the deeply rooted problem that still prevails in the U. S. It allows you to see people like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers in a whole new way.

    I say forget the subject matter (not that it would be possible, as it's so integrated with the film that they become one and the same. From a technical standpoint alone, this is a prime example of how to bring history to life. I cannot believe "I Am Not Your Negro" lasts a mere 93 minutes. I demand a 4-hour director's cut. (Theatrical version on the big screen, March 14, 2017)

    10
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    adamwatchesmovies@  16.3.2017 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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