Get on the Bus

Let me begin by letting you know I am neither black or white. I say this so you don't think I speak from a particular bias. I firmly believe that Spike Lee captured the central epic struggle within the black community and its overall effect on the American landscape as a whole. I was happy to see that ALL aspects of the society were equally represented in this film without reinforcing dated stereotypes. This is clearly Lee's greatest work.

EVERYONE SHOULD SEE THIS MOVIE ONCE.

Armed with 16mm cameras, a miniscule budget financed independently by 15 different black businessmen, and a wonderful script, Spike shot "Get On The Bus" and released it to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the 1995 Million Man March. Set on a bus bound for Washington D.C., this film examines the problems and opinions of various of black men on racial issues in the 90's.

Family, misogyny, homosexuality, religion, violence, education, and economics are all addressed here as well as other issues. Spike does not only shed light on issues that pertain to black peoples involvement in White America, but the film also attacks color-consciousness among light-skinned and dark-skinned blacks (as he did in "School Daze"). Like "School Daze," this may be the only other Spike Lee film that seems to be aimed directly at Black America, and Spike shows the varying degrees of complexity with his cast of characters. There is a rage-filled actor, a homosexual couple in the midst of separating (one out-and-proud, the other closeted), a sensitive cop, a level-headed family man, a gangbanger turned Sunni Muslim, a naive filmmaker, and a tired, defeated elderly man. There is also an estranged father who sees the March as an opportunity to re-connect with his resentful, bound-for-crime teenage son. His son has been recently convicted of burglary and has been ordered to remain "chained" to his father for 48 hours, the irony of which does not escape the other members on the bus.

Given the film is almost set entirely on a bus, Spike restrains himself in dispensing out his evolving camera and editing styles, using only a brief sequence set in a desert to bleach the screen with a heavy yellow tint. Many Spike Lee regulars are in the film, like Ossie Davis and Isaiah Washington who give sound performances (Davis' "I lost everything" monologue is especially moving). The real notable acting is provided by Andre Braugher as an angry, egocentric actor whose rage is fortunately balanced for him with a healthy dose of articulated intelligence and Roger Guenever Smith as a sensitive, bi-racial cop who works in South Central Los Angeles. Those two really are the stand-outs in this film.

The dialogue is so flowing and casual in this film despite its topic matter, that you could listen to this film instead of watch it! I can't recommend this film enough for fans of Spike Lee or fans of great dialogue. As a Spike Lee worshipper, I rank this film in his top 5. Potent.

Get on the bus is a superb film in every way. The acting , the story ,the photography and the sound track are a joy to behold. Spike Lee should be praised for his unbiased view on the struggle for black rights in America. You may not always agree with some of the sentements of the film but you cant help be captivated. Dont miss it! 8 out of 10

I just got done watching Spike Lee's "Get on the Bus" for the first time in about a year. The movie is done in a manner, I can't really describe it, that is very different from previous efforts by Spike Lee. The film follows a bus of about twenty men, all African-American, on a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the Million March that was held there in 1995, about a year before this movie was made. We follow each of the men, including a father and son who have tethered together on a court order; a homophobic actor, who takes an immediate disliking to two homosexual men; a cop whose father was killed in the line of duty; a former gang member who is now a social services worker for troubled kids who he's trying to keep from living a life in gangs; an up and coming film student, who is video taping the event so he can show it to his future children; and an open-hearted elderly man who is going to the Million Man March simply because he wants to.

"Get on the Bus" is in my opinion, one of Spike Lee's best films. Each of the characters are unique in one a way or another.

A film that is not to be missed.

Get on The Bus is all about dialogue. That is, a dialogue between one community of Americans, within the confines of a bus headed to the 1995 Million Man March. This is an emotional rollercoaster. None of the men in this film are of the same mindset, or from the same walk of life, but have come together for a common cause. Ossie Davis gives an all-time great performance. Overall, this is an under-appreciated Spike Lee joint. Perhaps it will find a new life in the times we are living in.