Sunrayroo's Film Reviews

Black Film Thoughts for Black Film Thots.

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Atlantic is a Sea of Bones

This 207 short film explores the life a NYC performer, as she must learn to accept herself. The film relies on mise-en-scene to tell its story, using lighting, cinematography and sound. I personally love the first sequence of the film, where our protagonist bathes herself, realizing that of her that is unwanted. In some way, this could be a rebirth, for this is the part of herself needed to learn to accept herself. Just like Cheryl Dunye Watermelon Woman, allows queer filmmakers to utilize the visual media to share their won experiences.

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Eve’s Bayou

This film is phenomenal! We follow a black family in New Orleans, focusing on the youngest daughter Eve, who has the power of sight. This film is a lot like Julie Dash’s Illusions, where the story is centered around black people, but not their relationship with white America, rather themselves. The conflict of this family all exists within themselves, and doesn’t require whiteness to threaten it. Often times, in films of black people in the past, it is shrouded with suffering, focusing on the pain given by our white, this challenges that.

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Zora Neale Hurston’s Field Work

This film was done by author, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston. 

This film gives us a look at life for African Americans in the early 20th century. Hurston’s work allowed for a honest depiction of African Americans, as well as the way they’ve managed to survive throughout turmoil. I personally love this piece of footage because it provides agency to those black bodies on the screen, those whose bodies are normally contorted by racialized diegesis written by and for white faces. Because of this footage Hurston’s can be consider one of the earliest Black female filmmakers.

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Watermelon Woman

Cheryl Dunye’s Watermelon Woman is a super meta-narrative, where we follow Cheryl Dunye as she is producing a documentary on the old Hollywood, black female actress, Fae Richards. The film crosses shot footage and narrative footage, where either the characters are aware they are on film or not. 

The mystery of Fae Richards drives this film, while we are simultaneously shown the life of Cheryl Dunye. Cheryl is forced to hunt down information on a black actress, for, in her work, she is only referred to as the watermelon woman. The searching process brings to light the erasure of black women’s impact on film, second to men, and white women. Another big part of this film is queerness. Both Fae and Cheryl are queer black women, and interestingly enough, both date white woman at some point. However, for Fae, it is her white partner who is recognized for her work.

At the end of the film, it is revealed that Fae isn’t real. However, she kind of is. She is the black female queer artist, often forgotten and disregarded. She represents those black artists, filmmakers, actresses whose lives are defined by the stereotype they play on screen. Like Julie Dash’s Illusions, we see the recreation of a narrative to make up for the erasure of black narratives.

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Illusions

A film review

One of my favorite short films is Illusions, by the monumental black female filmmaker, Julie Dash. This film takes place in the 1940s, following a white-passing black woman by the name of Mignon. Illusions has managed to recreate classical Hollywood cinema but with a black female lead who’s character isn’t based around a stereotype. One could perceive Mignon as the Tragic Mulatto, where her white counterparts aren’t aware of her blackness, and she’s able to evade the racism that comes with it. However, unlike the tragic mulatto, Mignon isn’t ashamed of her blackness, nor is the central conflict keeping it a secret. Mignon is dating a black man, thwarting the advances of a white military officer; he has a good relationship with her mother. Which is often the contrary of the tragic mulatto (think imitation of life), and she wants to further the advancements of black people in Hollywood. This film takes a perpetuated narrative of anti-blackness and self-rejection and flips it on its head.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t speak about the editing of this film. The lighting was reminiscent of that you would see in the 1940s film. The editing was choppy, having jumped in scene cuts. Dash even compromised the integrity of her sound to create some historical authenticity. She made a 40s film. This is almost reminiscent of Cheryl Dunye’s Watermelon Woman, where we see black filmmakers creating their own black female narratives to place themselves inside film history.

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As black film lover, a film lover who is black, and a black aspiring filmmaker, I’ve realized that my spectator-ship must be continually altered. Its rare if I can watch a film that allows me to enjoy luxuries of black female spectator-ship. I must critique films through someone else’s lenses.

All these white ass films made by these white ass people, for white asses who want to watch about they asses being white. I’m OVER IT. I’m done watching these “MONUMENTAL” films that aren’t for me.

This tumblr is dedicated to the black female spectators, wear I can freely express my film tastes and aesthetics.