Unforgivable Blackness - The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Adam Arkin, Ed Harris, Keith David, Philip Bosco, Samuel L. JacksonBrand: Paramount
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 220 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-01-11
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: PBS
Movie Reviews of Unforgivable Blackness - The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Movie Review: An American Idol, Jack didn't Fall he only Rose
Summary: 5 Stars
This needs to be a thousand stars!
Jack Johnson was an individual and a true American hero. He didn't care what whites or blacks thought about what he should do. James Earl Jones said it best, "he was a person that was self defined. He didn't let no one define him." Therefore he was a man and that's all everyone desires anyway. MLK later said in his dream speech "that he wanted blacks to be defined by the content of their character." But there are lessons to be learned. He didn't let not one tell him what he could or couldn't do. Most people back then would say" okay I am black therefore I will never have a shot at the title. But Jack followed Tommy Burns all around the world for a chance at his dream and he conquered it! He did the immposible the unthinkable.
First of all I am shocked that he didn't get killed by a white person. Boxing was more important than baseball back then. It was so important that when he beat (Jefferies former champ who Johnson could have beaten a decade ago) riots broke out over the country. Today in classroom history books you will hear about race riots breaking out because of the death of MLK. But you will never hear about the race riots because Johnson(black) beat Jefferies (white). Then on top of that being the True American he was, allowed him to think for himself to marry white women. Unheard of, this boldness in the face of KKK, and Jim Crow.
The film by Burns is great and accurate more accruate than "The Great White Hope" (Which is a great film as well). But it puts everything in the proper context. It shows how racist America was and still is on this subject. White America still has a problem with Miscegenation. It's sad how the first movie that appeared in the white house was the "birth of a nation" which was blatant racism that everyone in Washington thought was so great. What a racist upper society! I thought it was interesting Landis, the guys responsible for not permitting blacks to play MLB was on the scene during Johnson's trial. The person responsible for the fight in Reno Nevada, helped Johnson in jail to have all kinds of freedom (funny). Also how President Wilson lied when he said he would help blacks and enforeced jim crow. How the WWI didn't allow Johnson to fight and make money in Europe which was true.
Burns did a great job. I love how he uses the contextual words at that time to create the chapters. Love the old boxing video and photo footage. Funny how they cut off that heavyweight championship fight in the 14th round in Australia for the world to see history. Love the white people telling the truth in this film.
The Mann Act, its' funny they are doing the same thing to Barry Bonds. They are trying to get him after the fact when everyone else does it. The situations has it's simularities.
Summary of Unforgivable Blackness - The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
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