The indie film Sankofa works in a very direct, and succinct way in getting the message across to viewers that there is a sense of exploitation still present in our society, and while the social climate is less tumultuous in modern times than they were in the past, there is still a present theme in the film regarding African American oppresion at the hands of the white oligarchy, or society.
This issue is also present in Sweetback, but from what I've read this week, it seems as if critics walk away from this film with a mixed take, or an ambiguous analysis of the film. On one hand the film does depict African Americans in inner city settings coping with poor living conditions, but the avant garde depictions and mise-en-scene seem to leave some people feeling these issues are slightly undermined as the film progresses. Thus, the theme is still present, but it's more difficult to acknowledge in light of a film like Sankofa.
hey andrew excellent points and choices for films. sweetback is a "mixed bag," and we will talk more about this in a few weeks. but what i like about your post is you pull out the nuances in two films that are independent, showing how one almost operated within the popular realm though an indie, and the other remaining in the indie realm, though no one has seen it. we keep coming back to this issue of distribution vis-a-vis transformation...
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