Judas and the Black Messiah : Movie review

 


Based on a professor's recommendation, whose class I am taking this Spring Semester, I watched this movie. Incidentally it won a Golden Globe award in the Best Supporting actor category and has potential to win an Oscar as well. 

Set against the cold backdrop of Chicago, the movie showcases the movement of the Black Panther Party who stood of civil rights and communism. Two things that were averse to the American Government in the 1960s. The movie attempts to showcase certain events that precede Fred's death. One key event is when William decides to become an informer of the party to the FBI when faced with an ultimatum. Either he goes to prison for his car thefts or helps the FBI bring down the Black Panther party. Willan opts for the latter albeit reluctantly. It is evident with the stiffness that he portrays and faces a lot of inner conflict. His conscience pricks him every second and resigns to his sad fate for being subjected to something like this. 

What follows is a series of violence including, shoot outs and killings. There are tender moments between Fred and his love interest, powerful ones like his speech that evokes a chorus of 'Chairman Fred' across the party. There are heartrending instances such as Fred's death and the overall attitude towards a certain section of the society, which hasn't changed today. 

The movie has a lot of contemporary relevance and touches upon several themes such as racism, violence ad betrayal. Its sad to see how racism is still prevalent in the society even today. Despite numerous works of literature on the same or movies trying to portray this theme, nothing has changed. While its the oppression of Blacks in the US, there exists another form of racism back in India which is the caste system. Personally I have never understood this discrimination against individuals who are born in a certain caste or religion. Even education has failed to eradicate this sort of attitude. It makes me wonder if there would be a day when people accept others on humanity grounds instead of judging them based on caste, creed or color. 

Coming back to the movie, Judas and the Black Messiah has a certain raw element that lends to its authenticity. The performances by Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya are powerful and award worthy. Daniel Kaluuya especially gets into the skin of the character as the Charismatic Chairman of the Black Panther Party. Overall the movie is dramatic and heartbreaking. Definitely something that will linger on your minds and evoke myriad emotions. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

100 meters : Movie Review

Image
Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the importance of f
Read more

The Chennai resistance

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=3cd78548-4240-47c3-a608-8432df372190 Mentality of a Chennaite is something that never fails to amaze me and other people of different cities. This city has a rich cultural heritage and people indeed try their best to preserve it as much as possible. However in spite of globalization descending upon them, with BPOs lurking at every corner, with the Burgers and pizzas invading their eateries, the typical chennaite will go by his time tested staple food. Times have changed, and Chennai itself is now invaded by population from other cities not only in India but form the world, thanks to the IT boom and the automobile hub centre that it has become. One can see the metamorphosis almost everywhere; old buildings have given way to modern architecture, arterial roads choked to the brim with modern vehicles, individual bungalows replaced by the apartments. Only the age old temples have withstood this onslaught, but they too
Read more

My friend Ganesha: Friendship with God

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b7ab149a-5f35-4861-8859-6a890ddb71fe Loneliness often propels one to longingly seek a friend. Times like these often push us into a solitary stance or we find our solace in the road to spirituality striking an unspoken friendship with God. My friend Ganesha is one such film which depicts this divine friendship between a child and the elephant faced God and takes you down the mythological lane. The movie revolves around a family consisting of Ashu, his parents, aunt and the maid Gangubhai who places her sincere devotion in Lord Ganapathy. Ashu is a lonely child devoid of any friends and to top it all he is bullied by his counterparts at every given opportunity. To make matters worse, his parents who are caught up with the corporate lifestyles hardly spend time with him. One day he ends up saving a little mouse from the harsh rains. On sharing this with the maid, leaves her enthralled enough to tell him of being the
Read more