Vol. 67, No. 1

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The Black Film Boom: Decerebrate, Dangerous and Declining* ROLAND S. JEFFERSON, M.D., Los Angeles, California

T his paper was born of what might be called a 'psychiatric tragedy'. I was called to render a psychiatric evaluation on a black adolescent male of 16, who was confined on the orthopaedic service of a training hospital in Los Angeles. He had suffered multiple fractures of his pelvis, spine, femora, thoracic cage, and shoulder girdle. Other than pain caused by the physical symptoms, his mental status demonstrated nothing out of the ordinary until an alert 1st year resident became concerned because of the way the injuries were sustained. On further questioning, the youth, reluctant and evasive, revealed that he had become so excited at seeing the movie 'Shaft', that he tried to imitate the exploits of the 'Star' outside of the theatre. It seems that he had tied a rope to a roof top chimney and attempted to swing down the side of the wall into an open window. He missed the window and hit the wall and then plunged to the ground, thereby sustaining his injuries. Further dialogue with the youth produced the comment that, "It was the first time that I had ever seen a black man in the movies with that much power. It made me feel so good that I thought it was real, that it could actually happen!" Therein lies the tragedy. Now I am aware that my detractors would point out the identification of latency-age youth with Batman, Superman, etc. They are quite right, but by the age of 16 one should be able to discern reality from fantasy. However we have to remember that traditional comic book fantasy characters are white, thus denying black youth the chance to identify with and resolve the pre-adolescent fantasy experience with characters of their own race. Without this experience, they are profoundly vulnerable to strong identification with the black characters on the movie screen. The identification is so intense that acting out, at the 79th Annual Convenition of the National Medical Associationi, New Orleans, La., Julv 28-AIuguist 1, 1974.

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more often than not, is the end result. Granted, the young man initially mentioned may have been an exception, but his behavior dramatically demonstrates the intrapsychic dynamics at work and the potential dangers contained therein as the black movie screen fantasy experience is transformed into action without the benefit of discretion, judgement or thought. If one needs any further proof of the powerful influence of black films, we can start with "Superfly" and work forward, or, we can start with "Gone With The Wind" and work backward. The end results are the same, only the times are different. In the so-called 'Golden Age' of Hollywood, black roles consisted of maids, butlers, bartenders and chauffeurs. The end point was that blacks acted out these roles in everyday life because it was expected of them. Today black roles consist of cops, hustlers, pimps, prostitutes and subhuman sexual animals, all of which manifest elements of violence. The end point .... ? Black on black crime and violence among black youth is epidemic. Black people are acting out what they see on the screen because it is expected, indeed, if not condoned unconsciously by the white majority, in order to justify backlash reaction. There is no dqubt that the tremendous surge in black gang activity that has gripped Los Angeles is the direct responsibility, in part, of the black film boom. There is so much violence on the screen that one is prompted to question the unconscious gratification on the part of the writers, all of whom are not black! Unfortunately, a script written by a black writer is no guarantee that the film will dignify the black experience. More often than not, black writers themselves are so identified with the system, that their product offers little more than lip service in terms of contribution to the art. Those writers, both black and white, who do

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JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

develop a product of quality, find the road rough going when they try to sell their product to the studios. The first question asked is usually related to cost and the second in regard to its exploitative nature. I think it's important to digress at this point in order to explain the structure of a film, so that you might better understand how racism is built into it very early in the game. In the Golden Age, most films, with few exceptions, were financed and produced by the major studios themselves. The extravaganzas are a thing of the past now and the production of films has become a shrewd and sophisticated business. Most major studios have opted out of production and instead, sub-contract the production of a film to a company who may then turn around and lease their studios. The studio will retain the distribution rights, however, and it is here where black people have no input. The distributor must then expend the funds necessary for the promotion of the film, which may run several times the cost of the film itself. It is at this point that racism is in its most subtle and vicious form. If a distributor is now responsible for the promotion as well as the production of the film, he must by necessity become cost conscious. There is absolutely no hesitation to spend upwards of six million dollars on a film like The Godfather, The Exorcist, The Great Gatsby, etc. These films represent the traditional Hollywood mentality, and short of being entertaining, have no particular relevance to the black experience. But a so-called 'Black Film' will scare the distributor if the cost of production exceeds $300,000. That means another $300,000 must be added for promotional purposes making the total investment

$600,000. A rule of thumb is that any film must make in gross receipts, 1 l/2 times the cost of production to break even financially. The message now begins to filter through; black people are not worth but $300,000, but the white population is privileged to see a film that bars no expense. Black films are made at the lowest possible cost in order to reap the maximum return. How does that low cost refect in the quality of the film? Technically, it means no elaborate sets, simple exploitative story line

JANUARY, 1975

and a production staff willing to defer its salaries. It also means asking the actors and actresses to defer their fees until the film is in the theaters. Now it is an established procedure for actors to defer their fees, but black actors and actresses are expected, indeed, sometimes given no choice but to defer if they want to work. The message of racism is again heard; blacks are lucky to be in films at all, and should not have the nerve even to suggest that they be treated on equal par with their white counterparts. As far as retaining an interest in the production itself, I think the recent difficulties that Redd Foxx has experienced speaks for

itself. So we see racism built into the film from two angles: the first in the story line, which is a necessity for it to receive consideration for funding, and secondly in the financing itself which lets black people know what Hollywood really thinks. Returning to the content of black films, the formula discovered is relatively simple. A story line that deals with criminal behavior, glorifies street life and exploits the fantasied sexual behavior of blacks, mixed with the sensual sound of popular black recording artists' and presto you have an instant blaxploitation film. The psychological impact on the audience is dramatic and certainly is a study in itself. One particular theme that runs through almost all of the black films and is probably the most damaging, is the relatively little value that is placed on black life. Films such as "Hell Up in Harlem," "Across 110th Street," "Trouble Man," "Coffey" and "Black Caesar," typify the central and underlying message: The life of a black man or woman has absolutely no value in our society and for black youth to see it in living color only serves to reinforce their already existing negative and worthless self image, to the point that they act out screen behavior in real life situations with disastrous results. Indeed, the message seems to be that there is more satisfaction in death than there is in life. I am reminded of the final scene in Truck Turner where one of the protagonists, dressed in full Superfly outfit, has been shot but staggers erect towards his waiting limousine wherein he collapses and expires with dignity

Vol. 67, No. I

Black Film Boomn

on the steering wheel. The audience, which was predominantly black and under 20, gave him a standing ovation as if paying homage to the grandiose and dignified manner in which he met his demise; as if to say there is more glory and respect as a dead black man than there is in a living one. Equally disturbing are the roles cast for black women who are portrayed as omnipotent sex objects with little or no sense of responsibility or the character of respect. Evidence on the effect of their roles was demonstrated by a recent article in Jet magazine. One important black actress was accosted by assailants outside a shopping center and despite the large crowd of people that gathered to observe, none volunteered to help. When questioned afterwards, many of those who watched the incident openly stated that they were waiting for her to exercise her karate and self defense tactics that she had shown in all of her movies. They honestly felt that since she was invincible on the screen, she should have no trouble in handling several young thugs. With the exception of "Sounder," no black film portrays black women as individuals with self respect, dignity or a sense of self worth. In the film, The Mack, black women came across as being so stupid and naive that the question of retardation has to be raised. Personal relationships between black men and women are shown as so shallow and devoid of essence as to cast doubt on the possibility of the two ever being mutually supportative of each other. With few exceptions, black films depict the street life and it's hardships under the guise of showing the reality of ghetto life. But the subtleties of racism are evident since isolated examples of hard core behavior are shown and legitimized as the producers attempt to credibility and stature to a life style that is both demeaning and destructive. The end result is overidentification with and imitation of stereotypes that are as dehumanizing and insulting in this day and age as were the Amos N' Andy stereotypes of a decade ago. The message from Hollywood is quite clear. "We will show you what we want to show you because we think it is what you should see. If it ceases to be profitable to us, then we will show nothing!" For all intents and purposes, then,

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low budget films are synonymous with racism and represents a formula which has saved the film industry from financial disaster over the past four years. Once again black people have been used and exploited to bolster the economy of a society that was created by the chains of slavery. The curious absence of a nuclear family, or for that matter, the extended family, is evidenced in most black films. Black men are shown as individuals who operate and live alone except for the usual and expected female love object. Black women are shown no less singular with little individuality, dignity or character beyond their sexual ability. With one or two exceptions, black films omit the crucial family womb and it's strengths that passed on the techniques of survival from generation to generation. "Five On The Black Hand Side," "Sounder," "Man and Boy," to name a few, all attempted to bring a different quality to black characterization, centered around the family concept with mutual respect and reassuring support in times of crisis. However, in this author's opinion, the one film that stands head and shoulders above every current product, was a feature that was 10 years ahead of its time. "Nothing But a Man," depicted the black experience with a quality that is rare for any film, black or white. The stature and dignity of the characters involved was so strong and the intensity of emotion between the lovers, destined to become a family, was so meaningful, that it has to rate as a classic. Traditionally, black musicals and biographies have been successful because they were made to cater to a general audience. Hollywood feels that music is a univers'al language and therefore eliminates the need to be particularly accurate in story line or honest in character portrayals. Witness the success of "Lady Sings The Blues," "Porgy N' Bess," "Saint Louis Blues," and others. I would expect that Hollywood is anticipating a high financial reward on the filming of the "Bessie Smith Story," the "Nat King Cole Story," and others. The mentality of the Hollywood producer also fluctuates with human events. One such company. when approached with a script that would be considered 'revolutionary' in nature, stated that his particular company, while no

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JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

longer making the 'Superfly' type film, was still interested in black movies of a different nature. He felt that all future black films should be like "Claudine," which he felt showed black people as happy people who could make the best out of their situation. The castration of the black male and racist portrayal of the female lead character in the movie "Claudine" leaves one with an empty feeling since it was suppossed to have been produced by persons who were 'enlightened'! Hollywood is adamant in its desire to avoid films of a revolutionary nature when the subject matter deals with the black experience. One film company told the author that ft was their belief that the film "The Spook Who Sat By The Door," was directly responsible for the motivation and actions of the E.L.A., and for that reason his cotnpany would never consider a script dealing with revolution. At the same time he admitted that there were several well known writers hard at work on movie scripts that dealt with the events that took place in the house just prior to and during the shootout with police. When asked if they had accurate information in order to produce such a film, the reply was that "the writers are capable of fabricating material that would sell-they were only interested in making money." It was mentioned earlier that the black film boom has saved Hollywood from financial chaos. Ironically, the boom, though destined to happen inevitably, was discovered by accident. With the advent of "Sweetback," which was the singular work of Melvin Van Peebles, Hollywood, which had resisted the film, suddenly realized the financial gold mine that was virtually untapped in black audiences who longed for films that depicted themselves in the game of one-up-manship. Much like the series of events that took place when white mobsters found out the real worth of the numbers banks, Hollywood jumped on the bandwagon and took control. But the amount of black revenue is not just limited to black films. It was not until release of 'The Exorcist' that a survey revealed that 40% of the theatre going audience was black. Less than 1/2 of 1% of the theatres are black owned and there are no black distribution companies. One percent of the production companies are black while 99%

JANUARY, 1975

of the black actors and actresses are under contract to or end up negotiating with one of the two major white talent agencies. So its easy to see the tremendous economic drain from the black communities as it follows the usual exploitative pattern. Blacks, who make up 40% of the market, only get 1 ½/2% of the profits from an investment that sacrifices their dignity, self esteem and self concept. At the last count, there were 178 black films in various stages of preparation and due to be released over the next three to five years. Unless the pattern is interrupted, there is no reason to think that the quality of the films will change. Paradoxically, black films have had one very positive effect on black people and their image, and that has been the elimination of what I call 'ethnic substitution' in films. Historically and traditionally, with perhaps the exception of stereotyped roles, blacks and other minorities have been replaced by whites, ostensibly because there were no blacks trained to act in those roles. Realistically, of course, the 'white only' rule was in force. The precedent was set early and was typified by Al Jolson and his 'blackface' role. This kind of substitution was also prevalent in stage productions. The majority of feature films shot in overseas locations, such as the South Pacific, North Africa, Mexico and the like, usually necessitated the substitution of a white actor or actress to fill the role of a significant character in the story line. Tahitians were not allowed to play Tahitians, Mexicans were not allowed to play Mexicans, Asians were not allowed to play Asians, etc. For some reason, minorities were not felt to be qualified to play their own race. Instead, we saw the Adventures of Charlie Chan with his Number One Son as the only recognizable Asian. Somehow, all of the great Indian leaders were portrayed by prominant white actors. A classical Mexican substitution was done in Viva Zapata. Unfortunately, black people were not enlightened at the time "Imitation of Life" was the toast of Hollywood. For Susan Kohner to play the role of a fair-skinned black woman who was passing, should have been an insult to the black community, given the availability and selection that Hollywood could have chosen from. It seems that even today, Hollywood still has

Vol. 67, No. I

Black Film Boom77

not got the message. The Black Scholar recently published a series of letters that were exchanged between actor William Marshall and Anthony Quinn. Mr. Quinn seems to feel that he is best qualified to play the role of the great black Haitian ruler, Henri Christophe. He naively bases this on the fact that he claims Latin racial ties and therefore can appreciate the injustices felt by minorities. It would be the gravest insult to black people if this were allowed to come to screen. Ethnic substituton is not confined just to the theatres. The TV series, Kung-Fu, is a prime example of an Asian ethnic substitution of a key role. This seems almost ludicrous in light of the wave of Kung-Fu and martial arts films now sweeping the country. The curious absence of identified black middle class characters from the film medium should be mentioned here. Black films today all deal in story lines that center around the life style of the so-called 'street people'. To continue to show this style to black audiences has very serious mental health implications. The racist view point, of course is that to depict middle class life styles to black audiences would be detrimental to the establishment since it would mean that the characters evidenced a measure of achievement beyond the street life. That would change the stereotype image that blacks now have which would threaten the establishment's position. When confronted by the author, several writers and producers admitted that they felt that such films would not be financially lucrative because they could not imagine story lines with enough suspense and violence. It certainly proves that regardless of so-called 'class,' blacks are still expected to be a violent people! Thus it remains that on the screen, black people are expected to remain locked into the ghetto life with no expectations of change! What then are the alternatives? No films at all; a return to the previous tokenism in movies? Hardly, but there are serious considerations to

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be evaluated. Black films are made for the purpose of making money. That takes the support of the community. To expect a change in that pattern is wishful thinking. It will be necessary to make black films an educational process in order that black audiences can critically judge for themselves the benefits or detriments of a particular film. The black press has a tremendous responsibility to it's citizens in informing them accurately of those things that are not in their best interest. Unfortunately, however, they themselves are victims of the same psychological brain washing and cannot exercise the judgement needed to do justice to it's readership. There remains then, what I feel is the only viable alternative solution to the current racist presentation of blacks in movies. Black capital will have to take an active role in financing black production companies, writers and editors who are sensitive and knowledgable about the black experience. To expect change in this area from the traditional racist Hollywood film community is ludicrous. But black production companies are not the total solution to the problem. There is one additional factor that is even more important. That is the input from black mental health professionals in the role of consultants during the initial stages of film production. Without sounding egotistical or grandiose, it may just be that black psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other behaviorists are in the best position to direct the future course of black films. We have an obligation to our community to see to it that mental health services are available, and even more importantly, that they are made relevant to the black experience. What better way to exercise that responsibility than to bring a healthy black image to the screen. If we fail to undertake and carry out this responsibility, then perhaps we should consider ourselves something other than mental health professionals.

ATrEND THE NMA CONVENTION IN MIAMI THIS SUMMER AUGUST 10-1 5, 1975

The black film boom: decerebrate, dangerous and declining.

Vol. 67, No. 1 11 The Black Film Boom: Decerebrate, Dangerous and Declining* ROLAND S. JEFFERSON, M.D., Los Angeles, California T his paper was bor...
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