Sianed23
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Note de Sianed23
Manderlay is the highly anticipated sequel to Lars Von Trier's "Dogville" (2003), and tells the continuing story of Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) and (Willem Dafoe), who has left Dogville to live in the South.
They stop in Alabama in front of a large iron gate bearing the name "Manderlay" where a black woman runs up to their car and frantically knocks on the window. Grace follows the woman into "Manderlay" and discovers the plantation living under slavery-laws. It is 1933, and slavery had been abolished 70 years earlier.
Manderlay has been organised by Mam (Lauren Bacall), aided by faithful servant Wilhelm (Danny Glover). Under Mam's Law, a logbook has been kept which ranks each slave and determines their fate within that society. The film revolves around Grace's decision to stay at Manderlay and liberate the slaves to make up for the injustices they have suffered at the hands of whites. Grace attempts to subvert the slave system of Mam's Law, and one such scene sees the white masters with their faces painted black serving dinner to the former slaves.
Glover admits to initially turning down the role as he felt the film showed slavery from a biased white perspective. "The issue of slavery is woven deep in the psyche of all Americans, and particularly of those who have been victimised by the system", he commented. "I hope that my and the other (black) actors involvement can make some significant contribution to the movie".
There is a strong contingent of black British actors in the cast, despite Manderlay being base on US slavery. Mona Hammond (Eastenders, The Crouches, White Teeth), gives a strong, emotionally-charged performance as Wilma, particularly in the film's pivotal scene where Grace is forced to live by the democratic rules that she has set.
Other British actors include Dona Croll (Family Affairs, Elmina's Kitchen), playing the character Venus, alongside Llewella Gideon (PorkPie, The Real McCoy) as Victoria .
Manderlay's strength as a film is that it raises a lot of questions about the definition of slavery, particularly evident in the dramatic and unexpected twist at the film's end. Manderlay pushes the boundaries with its subject-matter and is compelling viewing as a result of Von Trier's film technique of 'televised theatre'. He uses only studio shots with a minimum of props, and the main action takes place exclusively on a huge map with crude black lines, depicting each southern-state, including Manderlay.
The narrator-led story (using the voice of John Hurt), means that the actors' Shakespearean-style speech is minimal yet dramatic to make an impact. However, this also makes it difficult to empathise with any particular character, which is vital given the emotive topic of slavery. Despite this, Manderlay is a definite must-see film, if only to debate the meaning of slavery and how its far-reaching consequences today can be overcome.
Manderlay makes the point that even if black people were physically freed from slavery, that they would never be socially or emotionally free, and given the same equal rights as whites. This theme could be a euphemism for Manderlay and the film industry as a whole; a black director is arguably more qualified to produce a film about slavery, yet he or she, is enslaved by a white film-industry that doesn't give equal opportunities to black actors or black film talent.
Von Trier also recognises this inherent contradiction that he, as a white man is directing a film about slavery. "I am white, though I felt myself becoming a bit less so, as we went along", he recalls, "There is no doubt that the entire blame for oppression rests on the whites, but interestingly enough, every major town or city in the USA with respect for itself has a Holocaust museum, but none has a museum of the racial oppression that took place within the USA itself".
Written By: Siane Daley
They stop in Alabama in front of a large iron gate bearing the name "Manderlay" where a black woman runs up to their car and frantically knocks on the window. Grace follows the woman into "Manderlay" and discovers the plantation living under slavery-laws. It is 1933, and slavery had been abolished 70 years earlier.
Manderlay has been organised by Mam (Lauren Bacall), aided by faithful servant Wilhelm (Danny Glover). Under Mam's Law, a logbook has been kept which ranks each slave and determines their fate within that society. The film revolves around Grace's decision to stay at Manderlay and liberate the slaves to make up for the injustices they have suffered at the hands of whites. Grace attempts to subvert the slave system of Mam's Law, and one such scene sees the white masters with their faces painted black serving dinner to the former slaves.
Glover admits to initially turning down the role as he felt the film showed slavery from a biased white perspective. "The issue of slavery is woven deep in the psyche of all Americans, and particularly of those who have been victimised by the system", he commented. "I hope that my and the other (black) actors involvement can make some significant contribution to the movie".
There is a strong contingent of black British actors in the cast, despite Manderlay being base on US slavery. Mona Hammond (Eastenders, The Crouches, White Teeth), gives a strong, emotionally-charged performance as Wilma, particularly in the film's pivotal scene where Grace is forced to live by the democratic rules that she has set.
Other British actors include Dona Croll (Family Affairs, Elmina's Kitchen), playing the character Venus, alongside Llewella Gideon (PorkPie, The Real McCoy) as Victoria .
Manderlay's strength as a film is that it raises a lot of questions about the definition of slavery, particularly evident in the dramatic and unexpected twist at the film's end. Manderlay pushes the boundaries with its subject-matter and is compelling viewing as a result of Von Trier's film technique of 'televised theatre'. He uses only studio shots with a minimum of props, and the main action takes place exclusively on a huge map with crude black lines, depicting each southern-state, including Manderlay.
The narrator-led story (using the voice of John Hurt), means that the actors' Shakespearean-style speech is minimal yet dramatic to make an impact. However, this also makes it difficult to empathise with any particular character, which is vital given the emotive topic of slavery. Despite this, Manderlay is a definite must-see film, if only to debate the meaning of slavery and how its far-reaching consequences today can be overcome.
Manderlay makes the point that even if black people were physically freed from slavery, that they would never be socially or emotionally free, and given the same equal rights as whites. This theme could be a euphemism for Manderlay and the film industry as a whole; a black director is arguably more qualified to produce a film about slavery, yet he or she, is enslaved by a white film-industry that doesn't give equal opportunities to black actors or black film talent.
Von Trier also recognises this inherent contradiction that he, as a white man is directing a film about slavery. "I am white, though I felt myself becoming a bit less so, as we went along", he recalls, "There is no doubt that the entire blame for oppression rests on the whites, but interestingly enough, every major town or city in the USA with respect for itself has a Holocaust museum, but none has a museum of the racial oppression that took place within the USA itself".
Written By: Siane Daley
CRASH
Starring: Don Cheadle, Thandie Newton, Sandra Bullock, Terence Howard, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillippe, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Brendan Fraser Certificate: 15 Release Date: August/September 2005 Reviewer: Siane Daley
Several stories interweave during two days in Los Angeles involving a collection of inter-related characters who explore racism from every imaginable angle. Their disparate worlds collide in a car crash, which unites these characters, and is the catalyst for confronting their own racial prejudice.
Don Cheadle plays black police detective, Graham, who witnesses street-level violence afflicting young black men resulting from a racist society which has left them marginalised. Graham understands their plight; behind closed doors he cares for his sick mother left distraught by his wayward-younger brother, Peter (Larenz Tate), who has left home to pursue a life of crime. Cheadle's performance is outstanding, as he deals with a difficult family and professional life, with the silent-yet-dignified screen presence that he is known for.
Thandie Newton plays Christine, the mixed-race wife of a wealthy television director, who is far removed from life on the streets of downtown LA. Film-maker Paul Haggis wrote this role specifically with Thandie in mind, and her performance doesn't disappoint. Particularly harrowing is the scene with husband Cameron (Terence Howard) after she has been sexually-molested by Officer Ryan during a stop and search. Cameron is forced to watch, left powerless by a police-gun aimed at his head.
Officer Ryan, (Matt Dillon), plays the part of an ignorant racist, whose dialogue is peppered with stereotypes about people of colour. However, his remarks disguise a brutalised, complex-character who manages to elicit the audience's sympathy during the course of the film. In contrast, colleague Officer Hansen (Ryan Phillipe) is naïve and racially-'liberal'. He pays the price for this when his underlying racial-fear gets the better of him, with tragic consequences.
This film is a 'crash' course (excuse the pun) in racism that is very relevant to today's post-September 11th society. The pace of the film is slow at times (particularly in the second half) and often labours the 'racism' point. However, the film's strength is that it doesn't criticise or judge, instead, the audience takes the same emotional journey as the characters as we are also forced to examine our own racial prejudices vicariously.
Written by: Siane Daley
Starring: Don Cheadle, Thandie Newton, Sandra Bullock, Terence Howard, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillippe, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Brendan Fraser Certificate: 15 Release Date: August/September 2005 Reviewer: Siane Daley
Several stories interweave during two days in Los Angeles involving a collection of inter-related characters who explore racism from every imaginable angle. Their disparate worlds collide in a car crash, which unites these characters, and is the catalyst for confronting their own racial prejudice.
Don Cheadle plays black police detective, Graham, who witnesses street-level violence afflicting young black men resulting from a racist society which has left them marginalised. Graham understands their plight; behind closed doors he cares for his sick mother left distraught by his wayward-younger brother, Peter (Larenz Tate), who has left home to pursue a life of crime. Cheadle's performance is outstanding, as he deals with a difficult family and professional life, with the silent-yet-dignified screen presence that he is known for.
Thandie Newton plays Christine, the mixed-race wife of a wealthy television director, who is far removed from life on the streets of downtown LA. Film-maker Paul Haggis wrote this role specifically with Thandie in mind, and her performance doesn't disappoint. Particularly harrowing is the scene with husband Cameron (Terence Howard) after she has been sexually-molested by Officer Ryan during a stop and search. Cameron is forced to watch, left powerless by a police-gun aimed at his head.
Officer Ryan, (Matt Dillon), plays the part of an ignorant racist, whose dialogue is peppered with stereotypes about people of colour. However, his remarks disguise a brutalised, complex-character who manages to elicit the audience's sympathy during the course of the film. In contrast, colleague Officer Hansen (Ryan Phillipe) is naïve and racially-'liberal'. He pays the price for this when his underlying racial-fear gets the better of him, with tragic consequences.
This film is a 'crash' course (excuse the pun) in racism that is very relevant to today's post-September 11th society. The pace of the film is slow at times (particularly in the second half) and often labours the 'racism' point. However, the film's strength is that it doesn't criticise or judge, instead, the audience takes the same emotional journey as the characters as we are also forced to examine our own racial prejudices vicariously.
Written by: Siane Daley
Pressure (12A), written /directed by Horace Ove (1976) Barbican, London 30th June 2005. Written by: SIANE DALEY
The Barbican Centre recently paid tribute to black filmmaker, Horace Ove, by dedicating a weekend to screen his films, including the socio-political film, 'Pressure' (1976).
Trinidad-born Horace, is internationally recognised as one of the leading black independent filmmakers to emerge in Britain since the post war period. He describes what it is like to watch the film 'Pressure' today.
"To see the film so many years later, it looks a little rough around the edges, but a lot of what is shown, actually happened and was reality", he says, "That is why the film was banned for two years by the critics. Luckily, the BFI took up the film in 1975 and agreed to finance it"
'Pressure' tells the story of Tony Walsh (Herbert Norville), a first-generation black-British teenager, who has left school, clutching a handful of O' levels, and is now trying to find work. He often gets through to interview stage (as a result of his 'english-sounding' name) but it's a different story when employers realise that he is black.
Every reader will identify with his mother's tirade (played by Lucita Lijertwood) when Tony returns home from yet another disappointing interview exclaiming, "Me an' yo' father work sooo hard, so that you and your brother won't go through the same sh*t we have".
Pressure therefore explores the conflict between first-generation-black youths who are alienated from both their West-Indian born parents, and their white peers. Horace confirms this stating, "Pressure as a film is not what you would expect, particularly during the seventies, and describes the kind of people that you find inhabiting these two worlds the 'Wind-rush' generation versus their first-generation British children".
Tony's brother Colin, tries to bridge this racial/social gap by becoming an active member of the Black Panther Movement, whose meetings feature prominently in the film. He is also exposed as a 'hypocrite' by Tony, for having a white girlfriend whilst also proclaiming 'black-power'.
At an all-night party, Tony is given an interesting socio-political view of religion from one of his friends, who remarks that, "Sunday is the day that black people get dressed up to go to church, get down on their knees and ask a white man for forgiveness"
In the next scene, the black preacher (Norman Beaton), reinforces this message in his sermon when he commands the congregation to "cast all black thoughts from your mind, and replace them with pure white thoughts." At this, Tony rolls his eyes heavenward and silently sucks his teeth.
Horace explains his reason for the poignant social commentary in the film. He says, "It was interesting to make all these socio-political films at the time as the political climate was there, and what I did was to reflect that as honestly as I could. I would describe 'Pressure' as a 'political-humanist' film, which was filmed in a drama-documentary style even the actors are real people and play themselves, talking in naturalistic dialogue to keep the reality of the film".
The turning point for Tony comes when he is hanging on the streets with friends and they commit a burglary which goes awry and one of them is arrested. Tony decides to take a menial porter job and attends his brother's Black Panther meeting, during which the idea is discussed that black people should set up their own schools for black children. This is a highly topical comment, as this very idea was recently proposed by Trevor Phillips, the Commissioner for Racial Equality, in 2004. In my opinion, themes like this make 'Pressure' a highly contemporary, and must-see-film that is ahead of its time.
The meeting is raided by the police and Tony is arrested along with his brother and other members. During a harrowing police-interrogation, Tony repeatedly protests his innocence.
A stark surrealist scene follows. The cinematography changes to black and white and Tony appears naked on a theatre stage and stealthily walks towards a bed that contains what looks like a person sleeping. Brandishing a knife, Tony repeatedly stabs the figure, drenching the stark white sheets with blood he then lifts the bedcover to reveal a 'pig' which he has violently-stabbed. I think that the link between this and the previous police-interrogation scene is self-evident!
Horace explains this film-technique, "Pressure is also a surrealist film as I tried to show what was going on in Tony's head, which other films were not doing at the time. I also wanted to mirror the two worlds that Tony lived in".
The film ends with the Black Panther Movement (including Tony), on a march with placards citing 'police brutality' outside a police station, in the pouring rain. This, in my opinion, symbolises Tony's continuing journey to a place of acceptance, and pride in his black-British heritage.
Written by: Siane Daley
The Barbican Centre recently paid tribute to black filmmaker, Horace Ove, by dedicating a weekend to screen his films, including the socio-political film, 'Pressure' (1976).
Trinidad-born Horace, is internationally recognised as one of the leading black independent filmmakers to emerge in Britain since the post war period. He describes what it is like to watch the film 'Pressure' today.
"To see the film so many years later, it looks a little rough around the edges, but a lot of what is shown, actually happened and was reality", he says, "That is why the film was banned for two years by the critics. Luckily, the BFI took up the film in 1975 and agreed to finance it"
'Pressure' tells the story of Tony Walsh (Herbert Norville), a first-generation black-British teenager, who has left school, clutching a handful of O' levels, and is now trying to find work. He often gets through to interview stage (as a result of his 'english-sounding' name) but it's a different story when employers realise that he is black.
Every reader will identify with his mother's tirade (played by Lucita Lijertwood) when Tony returns home from yet another disappointing interview exclaiming, "Me an' yo' father work sooo hard, so that you and your brother won't go through the same sh*t we have".
Pressure therefore explores the conflict between first-generation-black youths who are alienated from both their West-Indian born parents, and their white peers. Horace confirms this stating, "Pressure as a film is not what you would expect, particularly during the seventies, and describes the kind of people that you find inhabiting these two worlds the 'Wind-rush' generation versus their first-generation British children".
Tony's brother Colin, tries to bridge this racial/social gap by becoming an active member of the Black Panther Movement, whose meetings feature prominently in the film. He is also exposed as a 'hypocrite' by Tony, for having a white girlfriend whilst also proclaiming 'black-power'.
At an all-night party, Tony is given an interesting socio-political view of religion from one of his friends, who remarks that, "Sunday is the day that black people get dressed up to go to church, get down on their knees and ask a white man for forgiveness"
In the next scene, the black preacher (Norman Beaton), reinforces this message in his sermon when he commands the congregation to "cast all black thoughts from your mind, and replace them with pure white thoughts." At this, Tony rolls his eyes heavenward and silently sucks his teeth.
Horace explains his reason for the poignant social commentary in the film. He says, "It was interesting to make all these socio-political films at the time as the political climate was there, and what I did was to reflect that as honestly as I could. I would describe 'Pressure' as a 'political-humanist' film, which was filmed in a drama-documentary style even the actors are real people and play themselves, talking in naturalistic dialogue to keep the reality of the film".
The turning point for Tony comes when he is hanging on the streets with friends and they commit a burglary which goes awry and one of them is arrested. Tony decides to take a menial porter job and attends his brother's Black Panther meeting, during which the idea is discussed that black people should set up their own schools for black children. This is a highly topical comment, as this very idea was recently proposed by Trevor Phillips, the Commissioner for Racial Equality, in 2004. In my opinion, themes like this make 'Pressure' a highly contemporary, and must-see-film that is ahead of its time.
The meeting is raided by the police and Tony is arrested along with his brother and other members. During a harrowing police-interrogation, Tony repeatedly protests his innocence.
A stark surrealist scene follows. The cinematography changes to black and white and Tony appears naked on a theatre stage and stealthily walks towards a bed that contains what looks like a person sleeping. Brandishing a knife, Tony repeatedly stabs the figure, drenching the stark white sheets with blood he then lifts the bedcover to reveal a 'pig' which he has violently-stabbed. I think that the link between this and the previous police-interrogation scene is self-evident!
Horace explains this film-technique, "Pressure is also a surrealist film as I tried to show what was going on in Tony's head, which other films were not doing at the time. I also wanted to mirror the two worlds that Tony lived in".
The film ends with the Black Panther Movement (including Tony), on a march with placards citing 'police brutality' outside a police station, in the pouring rain. This, in my opinion, symbolises Tony's continuing journey to a place of acceptance, and pride in his black-British heritage.
Written by: Siane Daley