Black & White Film

I was witness to something all too familiar last night. The credits rolled as people sat in the dark and applauded, for what I’m still not 100% sure. This occurred at the conclusion of Miracle at St. Anna. The new Spike Lee flick everybody is not really talking about, except for the bad reviews. But I don’t want to give my review of the film, rather my take on what happened after. The movie played for a special screening, wherein the four lead actors were trotted out after for a little praise and a lot of Q & A. I had a few accolades, a ton of questions, and only my answers to go by. For one why all the clappers? Did they want the lights on as bad as me so they could find the exit? I know I wanted out desperately. Were they happy to see courageous men fight for a country that cared not for them? I think I may have seen that on the news recently. Were they lauding the end of Tinsletown racism, because four black guys stared in a movie with a white kid on the one-sheet?
Honestly, I think the admiration came from a much different place than is normally bestowed on typical box office fare. It was not for an excellent story, but simply for a story, period. Something I see happen often in the specialty/minority genre. Because like this film, many gay titles tout the angle; we’re talking about you, who cares what we say? I do! Though this film touched on an oft overlooked footnote in African-American history, it left the audience to be satisfied with remaining marginal. Because this story, though full of effort, never became whole. Time and time again the minority audience is asked to live on crumbs because it is such a small piece of the pie. The black community gets films about racism, the gay community only tells of coming out and AIDS. There is more to both groups than these aspects, right? I understand they are large in scale in terms of shared experience, but can films please find another story? If there is ever to be equality, start with equal quality cinema.