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Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
OUR RATING
5/5 stars
WHAT IS IT ABOUT:
Taking place on a summer day in the 1920s, a band of musicians come together to record an album with the legendary Ma Rainey (Viola Davis). Rainey is late for recording sessions and tensions rise between her and her white management, as well as with young upstart trumpeter Levee (Chadwick Boseman) who is trying to heighten his own ambitions.
WHAT WE THINK:
Ma Rainey’s black ass it is a film about tension: racial tension, musical tension, sexual tension. It almost feels like you’re staring at him with your ear pressed to the ground, waiting for the tension to flare, but when it does, it still seems to catch him off guard.
It is clear from the beginning that it is based on a play. August Wilson’s words seem to flow out of the characters’ mouths like butter. Similar to FencesWhich was the first time Wilson’s works were screened, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom has a host of beautifully crafted monologues depicting many stories from the black experience in the 1920s and long after.
Written in 1982 by Wilson, the play was part of a series of 10 works he wrote on the experience of blacks in each decade, called the Pittsburgh cycle. Ma Rainey’s black ass, in particular, tells the story of a recording day for Ma Rainey’s album. His band members: trombonist Cutler (Colton Domingo), pianist Toledo (Glynn Turman), bassist Slow Drag (Michael Potts) and trumpeter Levee arrive at the recording studio and, while waiting for Rainey to arrive, share stories, jokes and arguments. . Ma Rainey’s white manager Irwin (Jeremy Shamos) and studio owner Sturdyvant (Jonny Coyne) worry about whether Ma Rainey will eventually show up. He does so, albeit late, and has a car accident outside of the studio that appears to be very close to turning violent before Irwin intervenes.
But after Ma Rainey appears, the drama escalates, with her he has brought his nephew Sylvester (Dusan Brown) and his girlfriend Dussie Mae (Taylour Paige). She insists that Sylvester feature her on the album, but the problem is, he stutters, so every time he struggles with a word they have to start over, but Ma Rainey doesn’t care how long it takes, she insists that Sylvester is including the clue. Dussie Mae flirts with the recording studio, but the only one brave enough to accept her is Levee, but that’s another story.
Most of the film takes place in two rooms: the very claustrophobic basement where the band rehearse and the gloomy area where they record. On the contrary, every scene that takes place outside is bright, brilliant, and full of color, showing the conditions in which they had to work. But the sweltering heat and claustrophobic nature of the place where they were working seems to add to the tension in the film. You may feel that they are uncomfortable, so you feel uncomfortable as well.
What the movie does very well is that it shows that none of the characters are what they seem: Ma Rainey as prima donna, Toledo as a complacent fool, or Levee as an arrogant man willing to play the game. Everyone has stories, everyone has experiences, everyone has moments that lead them to where they are now and the decisions they are making. One particularly memorable scene is when Ma Rainey refuses to perform until she has a Coke, and the recording stops until someone goes to buy her a Coke. She tells Cutler that she orders her white manager and the record company owner because she knows it makes them money and they need her, but they also only care about her voice; once they have the recording, they will no longer need it. You have limited time to make decisions and get what you want out of the settlement.
Blacks, and the way they are treated by whites, is woven into every story. From Cutler telling the story of how a famous preacher was reduced to a dancing minstrel by a group of white men, to Levee telling the harrowing story of a moment in his childhood that marked him literally and figuratively, to Toledo describing black people as the leftovers. It’s heartbreaking, painful, and still feels relevant when noticing the police brutality attacks and the Black Lives Matter movement in the US.
Viola Davis shines in this role as she does in almost everything she chooses to star in. She truly is an unparalleled actress who slipped so easily into Ma Rainey’s heavy makeup and made the role so interesting and captivating. You should get a lot of praise for this performance, and it will all be well deserved.
But it’s very difficult to talk about the movie without mentioning how amazing Chadwick Boseman is. From his first scene in the movie, I had to breathe. His death, even all these months later, still hits hard. In the short time he entertained us on screen, he gave his all in all of his performances, put his heart into play, and created incredible pieces of work. We will always be in mourning because he left us too soon, he still had a lot to give and seemed on the verge of becoming a legendary actor. But in many ways, this, his latest movie role, is a beautiful swan song. Her performance is heartbreaking, charming, and great. He revels in subtle moments, carries every emotion on his face, and delivers his monologues with force and vigor.
Like Levee’s character, Chadwick had ambition, and like Levee, Chadwick’s stem appeared to be cut just before it actually bloomed. His monologue, in which he rants about the injustice of God, seems to ring so true when we think of all the opportunities he did not have in his short life. Levee deserved more, Chadwick deserved more, and I can’t wait to see him announced as an Oscar nominee next year.
Ma Rainey’s black ass is an impressive exploration of the black experience of the jazz age. It tells the story of a real-life figure who is often overlooked and overlooked regarding the contribution he made to blues and music history. It is a beautiful tribute to Chadwick Boseman and an excellent celebration of his and Davis’ talents.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
WATCH IT NOW ON NETFLIX
