AnalasysofFamilyinBlackCinema

By:PatrickLivingston
G002856131

Filmsportrayourlifethroughalensoffictionandfantasy.Throughthistapestryoflight
andpicture,weseewhatwewishtoseethroughthestory,imagesandplot.Thatisthewayart
cantouchusandprovidemeaningthroughourlives.WhenItookthiscourse,Itookittoround
outmyscheduleandkeepmeworkinginthewinter.Buttakingthiscoursehasgivenmeanew
appreciationforAfricanamericanfilmsandfilmmaking.Thethemesofhistory,remorse,and
interpersonalrelationshipsmovemeandallowedmycreativitytoblossomintoaninflamed
passion.Inthis,Ihavefoundthatthefamilialrelationshipsinthesefilmstobeinteresting,
enticing,inviting,frightening,aweinspiringandindeliblytrue.Theserelationshipspresentedare
complex,deepandrootedinemotionsnotofttobefoundinmostfilms.Forthepurposesofthis
analysis,IwillbelookingatToSleepWithAnger,BoyzntheHoodandEvesBayou.

ToSleepWithAngerisanintriguingstorybasedaroundthenewversustheold.It
presentsDannyGloverasHarry,themainantagonistashemeetswiththeprotagonistsfamily,
strugglingtowrestlewiththeoldwaysandthenew.Throughoutthefilm,Harrysoldsouth
sensibilitiesandtraditionsseemtohaveaunifying,yetcorrosiveelementtothemasthefamilys
youngestson,Samuel,isdrawnintothislifeofdebaucheryandlaziness.Itpullshimawayfrom
hiswifeandsonandstrainstheirrelationshiptothepointthatitnearlyendsindivorce.Hisolder
brother,Junior,reprimandshimforhislazinessandneglectandisnearlystabbedbySamuel.The
filmendswhenthemotheriswoundedtryingtointerveneinthescuffleandHenrydyingafter
fallingonSamuelssonsmarbles.ThefilmplaysoutlikeamoderninterpretationofanAfrican
folktale.Thethemesofthepastversusthefutureandthevirtuesofhardworkinamodern,

lackadaisyageisrelevant.Thebackinmydaymentalityisalltooprevalentintodaysera,
evenifsaiddayswerentalwaysthefinestorthebestdays.Nostalgiaalwayslooksatthepast
throughrosecoloredglasses,evenifthesurroundingsarecoveredingrimeandfilth.

ToSleepWithAngershowstheunityandstrengthinfamily.Thefamilyisalready
somewhatfracturedbySamuelsfamilyinsistingonlivinginamodernway.Heandhiswife
bothworkjobsandleavetheirchildwithhisparents.Hisbrother,ontheotherhand,workson
hishouseconstantly,isaroundforhisfamilywhenheneedstoandrespectshismotherand
fathergreatly.Evenhismotherandfatherliketheunityandthefamilialeffortthatrurallife
provides,despitelivingwithinthesuburbs.However,whenHarrycomesaround,hispresence
shakesupthefamilydynamicgreatly.Thefatherfallsill,leavingJuniortotakeoverhis
responsibilities.Theextendedfamilypoursinfromoutoftown,turningthehomeintoa
downhomebayoupartywithallofitsdebaucheryandcamaraderie.Thefilmportraysthefamily
asbothunifyinganddecaying.ThetoxicinfluenceofHarryfeedstheinsecuritiesofSamueland
Junior,creatinganunstableandimplodingrelationshipbetweenthefamily.Throughoutthefilm,
Henryseemstohavesomefoulpowertocorruptthosearoundhim.HispresencecausesGideon
tofallill,Samueltofallintodebaucherywiththeoldercrewandcauseslesssavorymemoriesto
surface.Atthesametime,whenHenrydies,itisasifaveilhasbeenlifted.Thefamilyiscured
bytheactionsofSamuelsson,whobecameinstrumentalinHenrysdeath.Afterwards,the
familyseemsstrongerthanever,comingtogethertocontemplateduringamakeshiftfuneralfor
Henry.Inthisway,ToSleepWithAngershowsustheunitythatfamilycreates.

BoyznTheHoodtakesplaceintheSouthLA,brimmingwithgangviolence,hatred,
andmightisrightmentality.ThemoviestarsayoungIceCubeasDoughboy,CubaGooding
Jr.asTreandLaurenceFishburneasFurious.ThemoviebeginsasTremovesintoFurious
urbanneighborhoodafterhegetsinafightinschoolandistakentherebyhisfrustratedmother.
Whilethere,hebefriendsDoughboy,hisbrotherRickyandtheirsmallclique.There,theylearn
aboutthegangsterlifestyleandDoughboyissenttojuvieforshoplifting.Sevenyearslater,
Doughboyisreleased,nowayoungman.Hereuniteswithhisclique,getsinascufflewitha
localgangandendsupgettinghismoresuccessfulbrotherkilledduetoaviolentgangshooting.
Thefilmanalyzesthegangsterlifestyle,themisconceptionswithitandthefalserespectthatit
fosters.Itanalyzesthehatredsimmeringinthesecommunitiesandtheviolencethatcomeswith
it.Itquestionstheviolentoutcomesthatcomefromthegangmentalityandthecorruptingpower
thatcomesfromthefirearmandhowitcancloudjudgementandturnpeopletoviolence.The
filmhasbeencriticallyacclaimedandhailedasoneoftherawestandwisestfilms.Butitalso
talksaboutoneotherthingamazinglywell.

Thefilmshowsthatfamilygoesbeyondblood.TreandRickyaremorethanfriends,they
arealmostlikebrothers.Theirbondseemstodullthebarrierbetweenthetwofamilies,becoming
onecohesive.Furiousbecomesafatherfiguretoalloftheboys,teachingthemaboutwisdom
andtheworthofaneducation,hopingthattheycanreachbeyondtheirmeagerneedsfortheir
ownsake.DoughboyandRickysmother,Brenda,actastheauthoritativemotherfigureofthe
twoboys,actingastheirconscienceandtheirmeasureofrightandwrong.Throughoutthefilm,
theboysactasonefamily,theirrespectandloveforeachothershinesthroughthegrittinessof

theurbanexperience.WhileDoughboysbondwithhiscliquedoesntgobeyondrespectfor
eachotherspowerandstrength,TreandRickyrespecteachotherfortheiracademicandathletic
prowess.AlthoughDoughboyandTreareverydifferentintheirideasofmanhood,theyboth
respecteachotherschoices.Neartheendofthefilm,whenRickydies,Trestealshisfathers
guntotryandkilltheBloodsthatkilledRicky,butTreleaveshalfwayafterthinkingaboutwhat
hisfathersaidearlierthatday.Hisfatherspokeofgentrificationandthemanipulationofthe
blackyouthtogetthemselveskilled,sellingviceslikedrinkandviolenceandprofitingoffof
thosetooignorantenoughtobelievethatsuchvicesarepathwaystorespectanddignity.
However,weseethateveninaneighborhoodwastingawayinignoranceandhatred,familycan
beanimportantandpowerfulfactortosomebodyslife.

EvesBayouisasupernaturalthrillerfilmsetwithinLouisiana,starringJourneeSmollett
asEve,DebbiMorganasMozelleandSamuelLJacksonasLouis.Thefilmshowsthe
prestigiousandprosperousBatistefamilyduringarockyandthreateningmomentoftheir
relationship,whereitisslowlybeingrevealedthatLouishasbeencheatingonhiswife,Roz,and
theresultthreatenstotearthefamilyapart.Evessister,Cisely,isapproachingpubertyandis
beginningtofeelstrangefeelingstowardherfather,resentinghermotherforyellingand
reprimandingLouisforhisinfidelityuntilLouisappearstomolesther.Eve,wantingrevengeon
herfather,commissionsavoduntocurseLouistodeath.Evefeelsregretforthecurselateron
andtriestosaveherfather,observingLouisgettingkilledafterhisadulterycatchesuptohim.
Later,Evefindsoutwhatreallyhappens,Cicelyattemptedtoseduceherdrunkfatheratwhich
pointhelashesoutviolentlyinsurprise,shockingCicely.Thefilmplayswiththethemesof

observationandmemory.Thefilmbeginswithasoliloquyaboutmemory,abouthowthe
observercantwistandchangememoriesasheseesfittohelppiecetogetherwhotheyare.It
becomesclearthatEvesresponsibilityinLouisdeathweighsonhertothisday.Throughoutthe
filmweseeevidencethatEveandbyextension,hersisterCisely,areunfaithfulnarrators.They
gothroughthefilm,observingtheeventsaroundthemasweseethemthroughtheireyes.Wesee
thisasCiselytellsEvewhatreallyhappenedthatnightinthegarageandEvewrenches
throughCiselysmemoriestogettotherootofwhathappenedthatnight.Inadditiontothe
externalobservation,EveandMozellearegiftedwiththepowerofsecondsightthatcanlearn
thetruthofwhatliesinapersonsmind.Thefilmalsohasonemajorthemethatitexplores
throughoutitsruntime.

Dysfunctionwithinthefamilyunitisdangerous,hazardousandcreatesafeelingof
mistrustandhatred.Thefilmexploreshowasingleliecandestroyafamily,anddestroyitdoes.
WeseeasCiselyhatesRozfordrivingLouisaway,weseeEvehateLouisforhismistreatment
ofhersister,andRozhatesLouisforbeingunfaithfultoherandherfamily.Thewholefamily
appearstobecaughtinacircleofhate,onethatisobservedfromthesidelinesbyEvesaunt
Mozelle.Sheobservesthehappeningsfromtheoutsideasthefamilyappearstobeimplodingin
onitself.ThefamilysemotionsrunatanalltimehighuntiltheyarereleasedbyLouisdeathin
thethirdact.Ciselysjealousyandpaingrewtolietoherselfandhersister.Rozsangercreated
unresolvedguiltwithinLouis,whichcausedhimtorethinkhisrelationshipwithhisaffaireeand
hisdaughters.Theentirefilmissteepedinwatchingandeekingoutwhatnewdevelopments
comethrough,andwonderingwhatdevelopmentsaretrueornot.Thefamilyisslowly

crumbling,butisheldtogetherfromtheguilt,pain,suffering,anguishandjealousyofits
members.Andeventhroughitall,itscertainthattheyallloveeachother.Louisloveshisgirls,
hisson,andhiswifeandtheyalllovehiminreturn.Lovewithinfamiliesisunconditional.This
lovedoesnotdampenthebadthingspeopledoortheawfulthingstheydotoyou,butitdoes
provideaninteresting,ifdifficultsituation.

Thefilmspresentedallprovideuniqueviewsintotherealmoffamilieswerarelyseein
otherfilms.ToSleepWithAngershowshowthedichotomyofgenerationscanmakeafamily
seemseparatedandisolated,yetitpresentsthewisdomandexperienceofthepastwiththe
eagernessandtheenergyofthefuture.Whilethefutureremainsuncertainandfrightening,the
pastisnotallrosesandsweetness.Thepastcanalsobeafrighteninganddangerousplace,
especiallyifonecannotlearnfromtheirpastmistakes.BoyznTheHoodpresentscommunityas
afamily,eitherthroughignoranceandstrength,orthroughwisdomandknowledge.Thateven
thoughoneisnotboundbyblood,abondoffriendshipcanbejustasstrongwhentemperedby
hardshipandloss.Andwhilethoseyouearnrespectfromthroughfearorcoercioncanbe
somewhatloyal,thosewhomyoushareknowledgeandwisdomwitharemuchmorethan
commonfollowersinyourtrade.EvesBayoushowsusthatloveandforgivenessareinseparable
infamily.Eventhoughthoseweloveandcherishmightbegoodpeoplewithpoorintention,they
arenotirredeemable.Thatloveandhumandecencywillhealwoundscausedbyabrokenheart.
Thatjustbecausesomeonedoesbadthingsdoesnotmeanthosebadthingsmakehimdifferentor
markhimamonster.Thosethingsmakehimpurelyhuman.AllthreeofthefilmsIhave
discussedhavetheirownuniqueviewsonfamily,relationships,community,andlove.Ofthose

wecannotstandtobearoundandloveanyway,andthosewholoveandlearnfromusinreturn.
Thesefilmshavefoundauniqueandcunninglenstotelltheirstory,andIhavebeenluckyto
peerin.

WorksCited

Brown,Ann."Eve'sBayou."
AmericanVisions
12,no.5(1993).AccessedMarch9,
2015.go.galegroup.com.

ToSleepWithAnger
.PerformedbyDannyGlover,PaulButler,DeVaughnNixon.USA:
SVS,1990.DVD.

Jones,Jacquie."TheBlackSouthinContemporaryCinema."
AfricanAmericanReview
27,no.1(1993).

Eve'sBayou
.PerformedbySamuelL.Jackson,JurneeSmollettBell,MeaganGood.
USA:TrimarkHomeVideo,1997.DVD.

Levy,Emanuel."TheAmericanDreamofFamilyinFilm:FromDeclinetoa
Comeback."
JournalofComparativeFamilyStudies
22,no.2(1991).AccessedMarch9,2015.
www.jstor.org.

BoyzNtheHood
.PerformedbyCubaGoodingJr.,LaurenceFishburne,Hudhail
AlAmir.USA:ColumbiaPictures.,1991.DVD.

ChicagoformattingbyBibMe.org.
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