Rosewood

Director John Singleton who's first film (Boyz 'N the Hood)left audiences in awe has once again cast an emotional spell upon his audiences. Some people have a question of how historically accurate the film itself is. With some browsing around from site to site I found that the place and time period hold true, along with with the weaponry (I was skeptical about the dual pistol action)used in the film to be weapons of the time period. Also while browsing I came across a quote from the director himself "I am concerned about absolute historical accuracy to an extent, but I am really more worried about being truthful to the essence of what happened at Rosewood... I am making a movie that people will respond to." With that in mind the general plot seemed to take course as accurately as possible, (considering the account of this event has several different death counts depending on the source)all characters used the same names as the real life people, well besides Ving Rhames' character Mann who is entirely fictional built-in to make the movie more interesting. Other than that shady character John Singleton kept to the truth and provoked a variety of emotions from his audience once again, fulfilling his goal.In the end it was a very powerful film on a tragic event.

I am white and grew up in the county where this really happened. I remember as a child driving by the place where this community was. There was a small sign that was put up by the Florida DOT that said "Rosewood" but there was nothing there. I asked my mother why and she was unsure what to tell me. Then when this movie came out I realized what had happened. I began asking the elderly people I knew, but they did not want to talk about this except for my ex-husband's step dad. He remembered being a boy and the mob trying to get his father to join them. He refused to participate and was threatened for the future of his family. I am also ashamed to say that race relations have still not gotten a lot better here. In 1969 when I was in kindergarten, I remember being sent home due to race riots in the high school. I now live in California, and I know some people found the movie distressing. Unfortunately the south has a subculture of violence even to this day. The actors did an excellent job on this film. I am so glad that the filmmakers had the courage to take this story on. People tend to think of Florida as an integrated state because of Miami and Orlando, but central and northern Florida is still very racist. For example the African-Americans still call the whites by names such as "Mr. John" or "Miss Ellen". Then little town I grew up in ,Williston, still has the African-Americans living on one side of the railroad tracks and the whites on the other "better" side. There are some whites that are very decent people and some blacks that are of very poor character. I keep waiting and praying for the day when a person will "be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" in the words of the great Martin Luther King JR. PLEASE SEE THIS MOVIE!! If Americas can take the violence that is in video games and stupid horror movies they should be able to take the true portrayal of man's inhumanity to man in this most wonderful film!!

Powerful, gut-wrenching drama recreates the destruction of a once prominent black town. Florida 1923: Rosewood and neighboring Sumner are built on an uneasy alliance between blacks and whites. When an influential white woman makes a false accusation that she was assaulted by a black assailant, angry white citizens form a brutal lynch mob determined to either find the culprit, or coerce other black citizens into revealing his whereabouts. The film's harsh subject matter is so vividly realized by director Singleton, and acted with such great conviction by its cast that it's deeply unsettling and at times unbearable to watch. If you can get past that, which is no easy task, you'll appreciate what a sharp, well-crafted historical drama that this really is. ***

Less than 100 miles away from me is a town that is a reminder of the hatred that exists in those who grew up in the rural South. I just read Olympia Vernon's book on a similar subject, so it is fresh in my mind. The inhumanity of man towards our fellow man is incomprehensible to me. Whether it is Schindler's List or Rosewood, it is hard to understand. We only have each other, and to think than any one of us is better than the other is pure crap.

This film hits hard. It will move you to tears and anger you at how some people close by are seething with hatred. I would even go so far as to say that if it doesn't viscerally affect you, then you are either dead or part of the problem.

The film itself features outstanding performances by Ving Rhames, Jon Voight, Don Cheadle, Esther Rolle and many others. Their work will hopefully inform the viewer of this great tragedy and remind them that it is not something in the past. Florida's election fiasco of 2000 and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina serve as evidence that the State and federal government is full of racists who continue these acts today.

Anyone viewing John Singleton's account of the horrendous events that took place in Rosewood, Florida in the 1920's will be unable to escape powerful emotions, regardless of their attitudes on racial issues. Historical accounts of this atrocity are sketchy--likely due, in part, to efforts made to cover up the crimes--with estimates of the body count running from single to double digits. Singleton's presentation clearly assumes a worst case scenario. Further, some of the characters are highly stereotypical. Seizing one of America's many historical disgraces he produces an explosive story of racial oppression, bigotry and ignorance and leaves no stone unturned in putting the viewer through emotional cataclysm. I was exhausted when it was over. Regardless, having said that, I must say to John Singleton, "Bravo!" The film was a winner. I say this in the face of previous comments because it doesn't matter whether it was stereotypical, exaggerated or purposely provocative. Whether the body count was 1 or 100, the horrifying, inescapable fact is that it happened, and it is unlikely that anyone watching this powerful re-telling will soon forget it...and that's the point. Like the Holocost (which some now dare say didn't even happen at all) these events and others like them must never be forgotten. I dust this movie off and pop it into the VCR at least once a year, along with "Schindler's List" to make sure my rusting, aging brain remains ever aware of the darkest as well as the brightest aspects of the human creature.