User reviews

Really, anyone who thinks this film is racist clearly has no capacity to look beyond the blatantly obvious and try to understand the real meaning of this stunning story. The fact that a film maker can be so bold and provocative as to verbalise the issues that are explored, and really go deeper into the race question than just "he's wrong he's right", and that someone can ignore political correctness and risk offending people in order to really get down to the gritty issues behind racism and race stereotyping is a testament to what can be done with film these days. I think that this is an intelligent, important and very brave piece of work, that will undoubtedly incur criticism, but that at the very least will remind people that race IS still an issue and that it requires more thought and understanding than is generally applied to it. I think that this is as cinematically close to Studs Terkel as possible.

As can be seen from some of the comments posted here, there are plenty of people intent on 'shooting the messenger', rather than listen to the message itself. In this case, the message happens to be the questioning of blame-culture which exists among certain sections of the black community. It is the contention of the author (Sharon Foster, herself a black writer) that it is this culture, and not that which is being blamed (ie white people), which is the cause of black underachievement. It is a serious argument, and one that can withstand close scrutiny, but that hasn't stopped the usual suspects from using their lazy cries of 'Racism' to try and silence the debate. A similar point was made during the film itself and it is interesting that many of the same terms of abuse used to castigate the main character in the film are identical to the ones being thrown around here (mainly by people who don't appear to have seen it). That would seem to indicate that Foster is, indeed, on to something.

Of course, this film could amount to no more than a 'worthy' drama, but 'Shoot The Messenger' is much more than that, due, in no small measure, to the quality of the writing. Foster has constructed an engrossing journey of self-discovery which begins with provocative words ( a gauntlet deliberately thrown in the face of the audience) uttered by Joe Pascale (excellently played by David Oyelowo), a well-intentioned but somewhat aloof black teacher, who falls foul of the authorities after he is accused of hitting a pupil. The fact that this is not true does not prevent him being vilified on a local black radio station. He loses the case in court and this leads him into a spiral of depression and madness, which he increasingly blames on black people (an interesting inversion of the blaming of white people which seems acceptable among his black contemporaries). I found this portion of the work the least satisfactory since the script sped over his insanity rather too quickly leading to loss of detail. After spending some time on the street, he is befriended by a middle-aged Black Christian lady. It is at this point the script really catches fire with some astute and occasionally hard-hitting views of the black community. All of this is maintained by a high degree of directorial energy and a high class cast. Highly recommended.

This TV film was shocking yet truthful at times. Yes, the film discusses racism and the prejudices facing black people in British society. However, it cleverly illustrates the lack of support within the black community, it shows the lead character, a teacher who believes that by giving his troubled black pupils detention, he can enforce education on them.

However, when a particular student accuses him of assault his own community turn against him. From that he goes on a journey in discovering and highlighting the problems, for example, black single mothers, black troubled youths, black religious beliefs, and so on, do not judge this film, if you have not seen it. I am not going to give too much away, because I do not want to spoil it for anyone. I found it extremely funny and upsetting at times, do not avoid this film .

My initial reactions were;

Negative feedback:

1)The writer invented black characters just to try and "prove" a point (e.g. the daughter of the Christian woman with 5 kids from 5 fathers, and also the girl looking for a job and asking about maternity leave). They didn't actually have anything to do with the storyline, and just existed so he could turn his nose up at them. The black on black shooting also had very little point to it, and was just there to "prove" a point.

2)The writer deliberately squeezed in forced levels of negative black stereotypes - trying too hard to provoke.

3) The only redeeming black character (his girlfriend) wasn't given a strong enough voice to actually put forward a counter argument (and making her have 'hair issues' was a real cop out!!).

4) Lots of the negative behaviour from black people was way over the top and unbelievable or even petty (e.g. when the guy in the job centre kicked over the bin when the main guy was cleaning up. I couldn't see that happening.)

5) No wider context of the situation. E.g. He said he was the only teacher who cared about the black kids, but the film didn't attempt to show how the white teachers didn't care. So resulted in all the black characters looking bad, and all the white character were helpful or good.

6) Lots of statements just put in there to shock - such as when he said they should bring back slavery. Again that had no real use in the storyline, and was only there to shock and provoke.

Positive feedback

1) Well filmed and acted >Interesting how even when he still hated black people he could embrace the black church. (the stuff of very loaded debate! ha, ha, ha )

2) Important issue raised of how heavy handedness and harsh treatment of ourselves may be counter productive.(The moment of realisation of mistakes for the main character)

3) There were a couple of funny moments and gave the ability to laugh at ourselves without self hatred, but unfortunately they were hugely overshadowed by far too many moments of self hatred.

4) Quite strong ending.

Overall I wasn't as offended as I thought I would be, but I do think there was a far less exploitative way of exploring the same issues. Apparently the BBC sent her back the script a couple of times saying it wasn't bad or shocking enough. The writer got seduced by that attention, and unfortunately that "trying to shock" factor has got in the way of what could have been an important debate for the black community. It tried to tackle every issue and bit off more than it could chew. I feel the main character was just living through the experiences of the writer Sharon Foster, and not, as she claims, putting an honest mirror to the black community. A lot of the things in there, I felt, were her issues, not anyone else's.

I would love to know how people are having an opinion on a TV programme that has not even finished airing yet! . If people actually give this drama a chance before passing judgment, they will find that it is a heartfelt, modern look at society today. . There is no reason why the BBC should NOT show this. All I say is that people should wait before passing comments on it. . He tries to fight back but is made a scapegoat for the anger of the black community and his credibility and life are shattered. Living on the streets he is taken in by a kindly elderly black woman and begins his long haul back to respectability again. Along the way he is constantly talking to the camera about how ridiculous and annoying black stereotypes and culture are.

Thank you.

It saddens me that the BBC only seem to commission dramas about black people that are either hugely patronising or play on stereotypes. Shoot The Messenger falls into the latter category. I saw this last week and was hopeful and interested to watch a virtually all-black cast. The programme was so heavily publicised that it seemed a sin to ignore it. It started off well, showing Joe, a school teacher who is accused of assault by a young black pupil and subsequently loses his career, but after a ridiculous spell in a mental institution (anyone who has had any dealings with mental illness of any shape or form, will recognise this depiction as puerile and ignorant) he turns against all black people. On his release he then travels through a rich series of vignettes involving bad black people who only seem to reinforce his negative ideas about black culture.

As a young black woman, I suppose if I say that I'm annoyed by the stereotyping and negativity, I probably just don't like to hear the truth. If I say that the depiction of black women as females with non-existent self-esteem is offensive, then again, supporters of this film would argue that the truth hurts. I don't care if our 'laundry' is aired - if it takes this to encourage people to talk the problems with drugs, prison and mental illness which are currently occurring in the black community, then i'm all for it. But please, who are the producers of this fodder kidding? The only reason this programme was made was to increase ratings. The BBC have no moral responsibility to the black community - most of its employees don't know any black people apart from the happy go lucky staff who dish out their lunch at the canteen and the friendly but reserved IT guy who comes to mend their computer.

The point is, there are many gifted, talented black writers out there who have vision and the ability to create a good script seamed together with a solid message that would be understood by all races, who will never get a commission from the BBC simply because they're unwilling to resort to this level. It saddens me to read that so many black people are supporting this film. It seems as if we really are starved of seeing our own images in celluloid.

Joseph Pascale used to be a computer programmer until he went to a small community meeting where everyone seems to be blaming everyone else for the fact that black boys are the worst performers at schools. Teachers were blamed for pushing them towards sports, schools blamed for not running "ethnic friendly" courses for them while others blamed the lack of schools just for black people. When one person blames the lack of black male teachers, Joe decides to give it a go. In his 70% black school he is the only black teacher and he tries to be a role model – encouraging the ones willing to try and trying to force those unwilling. However when he puts a hand on a boy's shoulder to guide him into a classroom, he is accused of abuse.

Originally to be called "F*** Black People" this film uses its title to let us know its intention to start a debate, to get people agreeing with it or get people disagreeing with it. What it says is that the black community has problems and they need addressing. However whether opening with the line "everything bad that has ever happened to me has involved a black person" may or may not have been the way to go (and, yes, I know the line refers to himself and is part of the point about taking personal responsibility, but it did open the gates for attacks straight away). To its credit the film does tackle difficult subjects head on. In the UK we do have a problem with black boys underachieving; is it racism? Why do other ethnic minority groups not have this problem to the same degree? Trying to address the problem we have the laughable CRE led by Trevor Phillips doing just the same thing – blaming everyone else. It is him and not a BBC drama that I want to hear challenging the black community but in fairness I suppose he is only one man and it is easier to point the finger than do anything else.

Of course the fact that a debate is a good thing doesn't necessarily read that this film is. It has moments that have value but the delivery is rather mixed. On one hand it has a story but on the other it has lots of asides to the camera and these two approaches are not married that well together. Likewise it varies wildly between really well made points and lines that are pure controversy baiters ("bring back slavery – we were good at that")not to mention stuff that comedians were doing a decade ago (stuff about "black" names and weaves). And so the good points that are well made and the interesting lines of debate are lost in the middle of stuff with a lot less value and a lot less interest. It is clear across the film that Joe himself has issues he needs to address but the film does a bad job of communicating what these areas are to us and instead just uses it as an excuse to say whatever he wants whether it is right or not. The cop out at the end is a real letdown as well – Joe learns a lesson and admits he is wrong by saying he won't take back everything he has said but the script doesn't allow him to say what points he made that were wrong and which were right. This leaves it all out there where really the film could have used this ending to summarise what it was saying. By saying "so shoot me" it suggests that maybe it is happy to leave Joe's wrong statements out there and not to deliver a message when it could grab controversy instead. The narrative is also pretty extreme and sees Joe jumping from one end of the scale to the other. The script seems to lack the control to hold it all together and Foster's writing needed a lot more work to build a better, more concise argument within a better story.

Kudos to the BBC for showing it though because this is the sort of thing they should be showing – not offensive or racist stuff but stuff that challenges but isn't commercial enough to get picked up by a channel relying on advertising revenue. I would sooner my license fee went on this than some rubbish sitcom that any channel can churn out (yes "My Hero" I'm looking at you). The direction is good though and the cast generally respond well. It belongs to Oyelowo of course and he is convincing from start to finish – what a shame that the material did not give him more consistency and depth to work with. Of the support cast both Amuka-Bird and the guy playing Jamal did well but nobody else really got the material they go (and even they didn't get that much).

Overall then this is an OK film at best. It mixes good delivery with bad delivery; mixes good points with points just designed to inflame; mixes serious points with "points" that a poor man's Eddie Murphy would reject as being too old and mixes a story with general attacks. Personally I don't think it is racist, naïve or any other mud being slung at it. There is a debate to be had and there are things that are wrong (several of them raised in this film), but this film isn't good enough to make an intelligent enough, sharp enough or meaningful enough summary of them.

STAR RATING: ***** Jodie Marsh **** Michelle Marsh *** Kym Marsh ** Rodney Marsh * Hackney Marsh

Joe Pescale (David Oyelowo) used to have a good job in IT but gave it all up to become a teacher and try to turn around the lives of the disadvantaged black kids he was teaching. He is the only black teacher in a school of predominantly black kids but he soldiers on regardless trying to make a difference. But it all goes wrong one day when he taps a troublesome pupil named Gemal (David Mnee) on the shoulder, which he blows out of proportion, costing him his job and the venomous spurn of the black community. After a lot of heckling and spurn, he becomes a paranoid recluse and starts imagining that all black people are evil and are out to get him.

As if to whip up controversy like a jelly cake, the original title of the film was going to be F*ck Black People before the conservative BBC decided that would be just a little too provocative and toned it down to the title we have. The film sparked a lot of outrage anyway and was even branded outright BNP propaganda. I can see how people drew this conclusion, as the film plays at times like a none stop rundown of all the various different bad aspects of black culture and the black community, from promiscuous single mothers with many different kids from different fathers to gun crime and failure in the school system. I can see how some may see it as depressing viewing, but I must say I never saw it this way. It's all played in a gritty, pull no punches way but it compels and enlightens you rather than weighing you down. And it's helped no end by Oyelowo in the lead role. The Spooks star delivers a fantastic performance, perfectly conveying paranoia and depression but also giving the film an energetic, enlightening and wryly humorous lead character who focuses on all the negative aspects of his culture in an angry and frustrated but also gleefully cynical way and even offers something of a tip on how things could change. The supporting cast also all shine in smaller roles but as he is carrying the film, he is the main player in making it what it is.

Powerful and hard-hitting, then, and certainly likely to offend some, but it's all (Like it or hate it) true and offers some tough food for thought for all the problems in the black community and the issues it needs to address. ****

I've seen comments on this movie, which focus on the negative messages sent out by the main character. But Joseph Pascale brilliantly portrayed by David Oyelomo (watch out for this immensely talented actor) is an anti-hero. We as viewers are not supposed to agree with him or his actions. We are only asked to venture on a journey with him.

Yes. Most of what he said is over-the-top and blatantly wrong, but it does forward various touchy issues paint straight at you. You sometimes don't know whether Joseph is wrong or right and this doubt may be a very treacherous thing. The questions asked are treason, but the tingling feeling lingers that not all he said was unfounded.

The movie is beautifully acted and shot with the comedy side giving some relief. The script-writing (irrespective if you find the movie repulsive) is top-notch. Nigerian-born Ngozi Onwurah has done a spectacular job.

I guess there were a few moments, where they pushed the character a bit too far. On the other hand you can also see it as Joseph entering a phase were he was self-indulging on his own hatred and it spiraled out of control. Look the party scene.

You may not like it. But its hard not to admire it. And even harder to forget it.

Personally as a Black Person I have experienced some of the things that happened in this movie. Some of us think that this is a racist movie, of course they have their own opinion but as for me this is a very good movie that encourages us to keep moving forward in this world, there are a few things that i know we can overcome and that would enable us to move forward, although not forgetting that Slavery is the very essence we are where we are today, it has made us to get this far while ignoring some other vital factors. So i congratulate Miss Foster and Miss Onwurah for a movie that will help us on our way to perfection. Kudos!!

The very first words uttered in this TV movie are 'Almost every bad thing that has ever happened to me has been because of a black person.' A rather alarming opening line and it doesn't let up.

Joseph is a teacher at school in London in which 70% of the kids are black. He knows it's tough for black kids to get a start in life so he tries his hardest to make men out of them. But there is one really nasty kid who lies about Joseph hitting him for a joke. But his mum gets behind it and Joseph is eventually fired for nothing.

He tries to fight back but is made a scapegoat for the anger of the black community and his credibility and life are shattered. Living on the streets he is taken in by a kindly elderly black woman and begins his long haul back to respectability again. Along the way he is constantly talking to the camera about how ridiculous and annoying black stereotypes and culture are.

If this were a white guy he'd be hung by the PC police, so I'm assuming that the disguise for this blatant xenophobia is the fact that Joseph is a black person too. But you really have to wonder of where exactly the inspiration for this rubbish came from.

It's really easily written and has about as much grace and civility as a sledgehammer to the balls. Originally called 'F*ck Black People' I'm amazed any non-KKK member producer even dared to pick it up.

Certainly not a film you should devote any amount of time to.

it's funny... i've come to the realization that black folks in the UK just weren't ready for Shoot the Messenger. i had a long debate with a black filmmaker when we were both shooting in Ethiopia recently, and i just read the feedback given by the other commenter... i'm sorry, but growing up in Babylon as someone from the African Diapora... we are taught to hate ourselves. period. it's the best way to keep a people dysfunctional in a society that is built to exploit them as a source of cheap labor or preferably as a slave workforce incarcerated in prisons. here in the us... black folks suffer from deep self hatred and confusion of our Afrcan roots... but we can also laugh at it. our films have addressed it lightly... Dave Chapelle has really got into it... Paul Mooney, Richard Pryor.. the list goes on. Shoot the Messenger plays with stereotypes perhaps, but really uses comedy to address the serious issue of self hatred. it's really well written and brilliantly directed. i saw it at the tribeca film festival a few years ago, and have been trying hard to get a copy ever since. there was a lot of outrage in the UK, because folks out there can't deal with their self hatred... sorry, but it's real. i'm dealing with mine everyday. We all need a lot of healing, but if you look at this film for what it is... i think you'll find that it's very well done because it has folks asking themselves important questions about identity, racism, self hatred... i think it's a spark for the kind of self realization that we need to evolve mentally and spiritually. i give it ten stars.

Highly exaggerated and poorly written script, complete with every stereotype imaginable.

The lead actor would be better suited in a theatre production with his overly dramatised acting.

An extremely poor attempt to highlight the 'blame' culture within the black community.

If you don't mind being patronised and insulted for an hour and a half, then this is definitely the film for you.

No balance or differing views at all in this film lets it down even further.

Unbelievable that it was commissioned!

When I sat down to watch shoot the messenger for the first time, I was gripped. It was not a stereotypical take on black British culture; it is based on events that the writer is experienced themselves. I am an active member of the black community in London and the events that we see in this film reflect real life and to think that it has been categorised as racist is disgraceful. The storyline is excellent and it is not even the aspect of race that is the main feature it is the relationship between Pascal and Germal and how it affect their lives. It is a great drama and I would definitely recommend trying to get hold of it, it is ashamed the BBC will not show it again.

This is surprisingly strong and engaging movie. Usually when a commercial production delves into highly charged topics, such as race, the results can be less than pleasing. However, this movie is an exception. Utilizing an almost documentary-like format, the deals with issues such as racism, self-hate and emotional trauma. Skillfully directed by Ngozi Onwurah, this movie dramatizes what can happen when hatred is turned inward. The performances are excellent. But what makes this particularly effective is that it presents a story that is not contrived, that deals with real issues, and does so without relying on cinematic gimmicks like special effects or becoming preachy. The themes in this story resonates with the audience and for that reason alone this movie is worth watching. This movie deals squarely with the theme of self-hate: its etiology and manifestations. In this movie the dialog is candid,, unambiguous and strong. Characters are forced to call into question their own sense of worth, their own sense of identity and come to terms with who they are, and who they think they are. The main character is heroic, yet he is flawed hero, who experiences his own personal odyssey of self-discovery. What makes this movie so brilliant is the fundamental simplicity of the story. There is no complicated, convoluted plot, no pseudo-philosophical sophistry; what is portrayed is done so plainly and clearly. The world is a complicated place but that doesn't mean a movie has to be complicated. Profound themes do not need to be obscured by special effects or overly wordy scripts. This movie is proof of that.

Really unbelievable film, amazing script, acting, characters, cinematography, music- everything.

I watched this on the recommendation of a guy I know who works in St Pauls Bristol (which for those who don't know is the inner city black area, although we'll see about that when the shopping centre expands & gentrifies it) & it blew me away.

I read in the comments here that some say it provokes for the sake of it, but people need this provocation! Not every incident, utterance or character in the film is a direct reflection of the writer's own views; when something contentious is presented it's not there to say "this is how things are" it's there to make you think and question, to explore your own attitudes to race. It's basically the film that "Crash" couldn't dream of being, as its rich in subtlety and layers and it doesn't say "think like this" but rather "think for yourself".

Exceptional film making, I can't recommend it enough, I'm can't say if it will be repeated or not, but it's on UK Nova, track it down at all costs!!

This film adds absolutely nothing to the debate about the African community here in the UK. It is an offensive piece of liberal and right-wing endorsed tripe that only the BBC could produce.

From the exaggerated caricatures of the community, to the rampant stereotypes, irritatingly trivial sounds track, overacting by the lead actor to the complete lack of realism about the storyline, I can not imagine anything more awful to watch. The whole portrayal of mental illness, from someone who has seen what mental illness can do is nothing short of offensive.

Most white folk will love it and most African people will hate it (though there will be a handful of exceptions to each rule) - but ultimately, this autobiographical account of the creator, Sharon Fosters life reveals more about the manifestations of her twisted self loathing than it does about the African community.

The mildly redeeming last 4 minutes do little to absolve the assault of the proceeding hour and a half. Avoid this depressing tripe at all costs.

Clearly,there have been so many issues raised about the film Shoot the messenger and naturally,majority would be offended.I actually watched the movie but i would not term it as being racist. The point here is that certain events happen and we interpret it in different meanings.As a black African actor,my views are entirely different.The writer constructed a story which could be based on a life experience or from the norms of the society.Where the writer failed and which has led to this controversy is the generalization of the whole black community.We have to understand that within the black community,we are different.i would like to break this down into 3 groups. We have the African Americans, Afro-Caribbean,and the core Africans. I have been lucky & opportuned to have experienced and mixed with these 3 groups.The Africans would be the most offended here and the Afro-Caribbeans the least.Yes we have one thin in common and that is being black but let us not forget that our cultures and background are completely different.The writer basing the story on all blacks is the cause of the heat.Ther would have been several better ways of penning this story which has morality and facts but it was detailed wrongly.Obviously the BBC airing this knew what they were doing.Let us not be fooled but the world is watching our reactions. Personally, as a black African there were certain comments in the movie that i would never agree with which i would enumerate subsequently. While we start hitting each other,i would like us to ponder over recent events that have taken place.i would mention 2.Firstly,the Mel Gibson Jewish comments.Secondly,the airing of the US president being assassinated. We don't need to e told that Mel who is a star in his own right has publicly apologized and the questions on the lips of Americans.......Let us remember,the eyes of the world are watching

A dissemination of the African British Community by a Career Opportunist who has the morality of Leni Riefenstahl without the Artistic skill.

A Play that panders to European racial stereo types, it runs through issue after issue patched together with post it notes rather than the bostik glue of reality.

For example the name Kwame, used in her example of unnecessary names used by "Black" people to name their children is a common Ghanian name and as normal as Mohammad or Paul.

The central character does not exactly explain why "Everything bad that has ever happened to him has been by Black People" other than the idea that a child made an unfounded accusation against him, while an the English establishment set the wheels in motion leading to the Judgement first in it's favour.

Pokes fun at African Woman and their hair styles as being Fake, Do'es he really believe that all those Blondes on the Streets are natural or did that blondness come out of a bottle ? Along with the Liposucation,Boob jobs, Lip fattening and other fake attire Ladies like to use to snare their men ??

His emotional detachment from his own Community belies his hidden insecurities (or rather Her) but self.

More concerning is the trivialising of Slavery - The biggest Holocaust the World has tolerated. Showing acute lack of understanding that the very Racist degeneration used by the parties involved to justify the practice guided her pen the writing of this (Dis)Play.

Being seen on a screen is not self-determination, especially when the gatekeepers, decision makers who determining the validity of our work are all European. African stories are attempts to explain Africans to Europeans as opposed to Africans explaining themselves to each other. These mere fact renders the whole concept of "Black cinema" and "Black perspective" redundant.

Like Blood diamonds the doc, the idiot is always the African. Shock at any expense, just a good way of airing politics most white feel. But the best way to get away with it is to let a black person write it. Pay them to flush it down the toilet. mock the issues, air the laundry. It is so funny that no film is so controversial that it acts in the liberation of Africans. Why haven't they shown a film like 500 Years Later? why don't they show films and docs that they don't have control over. The only films allowed are ones where the content is set for their taste buds. And never do these films injur the master