#JerodHaynes

[film-book]

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61st STREET: Season 2, Episode 6: Argue the Facts Plot Synopsis, Director, & Air Date [The CW] https://film-book.com/61st-street-season-2-episode-6-argue-the-facts-plot-synopsis-director-air-date-the-cw/?feed_id=145369&_unique_id=66ca1528f33d9

[doomonfilm]

Review : Native Son (2019)

Call it an embarrassment of riches, but there are way too many streaming services out there to keep track of.  It’s a full time job knowing what’s streaming where, and more importantly, what exclusives or unique projects are showing up where.  That’s why, during a recent dig through the HBO app to find the latest episode of Game of Thrones, I was stunned to see Richard Wright’s Native Son in movie form.  Not only was I unaware that the book had been adapted to a film, but it appears to have also gotten a modern day update.  So, with no knowledge of what I was getting in to, I decided to dive in. 

Bigger Thomas (Ashton Sanders) is a young Chicago native with dreams and aspirations of bigger things.  Though deeply involved with is family, his community, and his girlfriend Bessie (Kiki Layne), Bigger struggles to fit in on a sincere level, choosing instead to wear his difference as a badge of honor.  Bigger is given the opportunity to become a driver for Henry Dalton (Bill Camp), his blind wife Peggy (Barbara Sukowa), and his daughter Mary (Margaret Qualley).  As Bigger attempts to navigate the conflicts that arise on both sides of his new experience, issues continue to arise to the point that he loses focus in a way that threatens to jeopardize his life forever.   

Rashid Johnson makes some wonderful choices in the adaptation of this seminal piece of work, chiefly the choice to drench Bigger in the Afropunk aesthetic to show how he fails to fit into either world he inhabits.  Chicago also serves as a proper setting for the story, as it has both the dangerous and the alluring at its core, providing the sense of two worlds.  The modern update is woven so seamlessly into the story that many may not realize it is an adaptation, and one that’s true to the original, with the update fitting so well that even the name Bigger relates to Biggie Smalls and so on.  At the root, the story examines the story of a man attempting to hold in the inevitable explosion that the world expects from him, at times even seemingly trying to force the reaction.  Bigger, therefore, finds himself living life with his guard up to both sides of his world, as he constantly deals with the dual-sided coin of white microagressions and black peers viewing him as a sellout.  Bigger miraculously, however, manages to maintain his humanity, even when his hand is forced, and especially when his back is against the wall.

Native Son serves as a reflection on poverty, opportunity, and what lengths those who want to better themselves are willing to go to.  Bigger represents those with a long term state of mind in a short term predicament, where stability is in direct opposition to easy money, and the temptation of the quick fix clouds judgement.  The film itself is an emotionally taxing one, where the presentation of the story allows us to feel the weight of Bigger’s problems as if they’re ours.  Despite this heaviness, Bigger is still forced to wear a mask to keep up appearances, foolishly being asked to prove he hasn’t changed in spite of his given opportunity.  This runs parallel with the recognition that Bigger’s seemingly singular job opportunity also includes manual labor and the babysitting of a young adult, the latter of which puts him into having to deal with racial debates and posturing.  Mary also provides a different realm of temptation that Bigger is mostly able to avoid, but when the situations hit extreme things go horribly wrong.

The episodic nature of the film (complete with title cards) makes the film play out like both a living, breathing book and an emotional checklist for Bigger’s state of mind.  The nature of this update/adaptation is incredibly smart, and so natural that without context, many would probably think the film is an original.  Bigger’s costume design, in particular, is incredibly strong, making him stand out among the rest of the inhabitants in the world of the film.  The inclusion of the film Sweet Sweetback’s Badass Song plays as symbollic to Bigger (and most black men’s) struggle in trying to find respect and stability in a crazy world.  The soundtrack is amazing, mixing hip-hop, punk rock, soul and classical music effortlessly, and further driving home Bigger’s natural diversity as a character.  The time-lapse shots used help to punctuate all of the tension that Bigger faces.

Ashton Sanders brings a measured, cautious approach to his performance, never fully letting his guard down for anyone, and letting it down the most when around his family... the presence of dignity he exudes carries him through the early experiences, and tears him apart at the most drastic times.  Margaret Qualley and her playful exuberance, in tandem with her knowledge of self and ‘the help’, creates a bright spot that becomes a sense of danger when foreign elements enter her system.  Nick Robinson and his sense of duty/righteousness makes him the innocent of the film, even though his ideas make him one of the more forward-thinking characters.  Kiki Layne brings a sense of support to the table for Bigger, though not at the expense of her needs.  Sanaa Lathan also provides support, though hers is of the unconditional nature, in her motherly role.  Bill Camp brings an attitude of understanding an opportunity, being trusting with no clue of what is in store for his character.  Appearances by Stephen Henderson, Lamar Johnson, Jerod Haynes, Barbara Sukowa, Elizabeth Marvel, and a brief appearance from David Alan Grier rounds out the cast.

It honestly took me way too long to come around to watching this film, but I’m glad that I finally did.  I’m curious about future Ashton Sanders performances based on this one, and I will certainly be encouraging others to watch this beautiful and intense piece of art.