Saturday, January 23, 2010

Message Received

Several times I have posted the Movie Mania screenings sponsored by Emory University's Psychoanalytic Institute. Friday night was the first time I attended it and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I'm sure if I hadn't become a lawyer, I probably would have been some type of academic.  So it was kind of nice and nostalgic to be on the campus of my undergraduate alma mater having an academic discussion about a film.  In honor of MLK week the selection was a BBC film called  Shoot the Messenger.  The film bowled me over.  Basically it's about a black man in the UK who decides to help disadvantaged black males by becoming a teacher.  He finds, however, that his efforts are not entirely appreciated and when he's wrongly accused of assaulting one of his charges, he has a psychotic break that causes him to question the black community and his place in it.  The film touches on almost every issue we have as being black people in Western society-- self-loathing, colorism, assimilation, religion, the historic impact of slavery, and the perils of the black male.  Needless to say it was a lot to take on and the discussion could have easily gone beyond the hour we spent on it.  I wish this 2006 film was made available stateside, but it appears its not even available for renting.

The next Movie Mania film will be Pink Floyd The Wall on February 12. 


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