REVIEW: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Illuminates the Black Struggle in the Music Business, Life
Stellar actors play an engaging tempo in their collective performances about one of Black Entertainment's Blues trailblazers, Gertrude Ma Rainey
Artists and management in the music industry have collided on business matters since the industry started. Historically, it has been tougher on Black entertainers, whose talent wss exploited by White-dominated leadership from every angle. This tension in explored in the upcoming Netflix movie, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," debuting on December 18. Based on August Wilson' play by the same title, Oscar winners Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman star in the picture.
Director George Wolfe masterfully handles the subtle hum of racism in a slice of life depiction of a real-life star, which Davis perfectly engulfs in one disctinct moment saying: "They don't care nothin' about me. All they want is my voice."
Born Gertrude Pridgett in Columbus, GA, Ma Rainey is credited with being the first popular Blues singer. Rainey mentored Bessie Smith and was known on the vaudeville/cabaret circuit before tranforming into an architect of the Blues genre. Davis downplayed the raunchiness associated with Rainey and "tent-shouters" who sang Blues of the era, giving her a more confident, classy aura. Ma led what some would consider a "jug band," unable to read or write. She would draw pictures to remember to lyrics she wrote. The lack of education, did not dampen her business sense as is evident throughout the movie.
The "Mother of Blues" and her Rabbit Foot Minstrels band perhaps, through this movie, will receive the historic notoriety they are due. They became famous among Blacks as a traveling Blues act in the 1920s and 30s and worked their way from tent, to stage, to wax recordings. It was during those times that some Black entertainers, often deprived of education and rights, made their living praticing self-depicating black face and bufoonery. Although the feather-fanning singer did not mask her performances with such antics, she innately understood White people viewed all Blacks as commodities.
Summarizing the plight of her race Davis said with a blank stare, "You colored and you can make them some money then you alright with them. Otherwise you just a dog in the alley."
Davis truly seemed to embody the mannerisms and attitude of Rainey in each steamy musical performance. For instance, "Black Bottom" was a recording about a dance move Rainey popularized that is akin twerking in modern-day rump shaking terms. Davis comfortably navigated all of the nuances of the Blues singer's personality including liberal hip girations. She is her strongest when she shows she understands she has the upper hand as the talent, demonstrating her human worth. Everyone, but overtly anbitious coronet player Levee, knows Ma is the shot-caller. Having personal strength and self-esteem was important for a woman who was once dubbed the "ugliest in entertainment." A slight detection of the actress' East coast accent is the only drawback of her delivery.
The entire cast crescendos during several monologues. Each actor is captivating, driving viewers down a deeply emotional path whether they are speaking or simply watching another actor delivering their part. This energy creates a fulsome experience that is rare outside of theatrical environements, although the presentation is not intended to come off like a play in movie form. It is an ostensible quality that connects the movie to the play (from which it is was adapted) stylistically. But this is moreso an observation than a critique. With Denzel Washington in the producer seat and his experience with Wilson's "Fences" I suspect this style was deliberate.
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is as much about the Black experience in life and art during that period as it is focused on a one-day recording session in the South side of Chicago. She had interrupted a tour down South to do the recording with her label Paramount Records. Earlier in the day, she had a fender bender and a conflicted police encounter. While Rainey arrives late to the session, she demands respect and eqaulity from her White manager and the label head who seeks creative control while attempting to short-change them in the process. In these power-play momnets, the singer gets her way every time, refusing at one point to work in stuffy, burning hot studio without a "cold Coca Cola."
Ma Rainey, a prima donna in her own right, her mouth lined with gold teeth, was not only a flashy boss lady, but also she was an openly gay Black woman. Although she had marrid a man (Pa Rainey, a known minsrel perfomer), the divorcee preferred women, and ecpressed her sexuality in the lyrics of many of her songs. She brought her lover who was alo featured as a dancer in the group to Chicago and paraded her around, holding her close in public. The openess about her sexual identiy may be rewarding to the LGBT community to see, considering the time period.
Toledo, a pianist played by veteran actor Glynn Turman, is a literate juxtoposition to every stereotype about Blues musicians, who takes pride in being able to think for himself. He was believable as he articulated his analysis about Blacks taking life more serioiusly instead of always looking for a good time. Reflecting his skills as a method actor, Turman draws the viewer in with intense stares and vocal candence during his philisophical lessons on Blackness that illustrates the "blues" of a hearbroken race.
WHO WAS MA RAINEY?
Levee was eager to branch out on his own and give the White record executives the commerical sound and "art" that he felt Ma couldn't. He'd attemtepted to strike a deal behind Ma's back, secretly desiring her girl and her success. He was the most complex of all characters, revealing personal traumas and demons that caused him to lose control and take the film to a catostrophic climax in the concluding scene. Boseman delivered with every fiber of his being. His final performance was Oscar-worthy.
The music score also shares in making this a story a contender for award show recognition. The music and the script intertwine precisely. Brandford Marsalis' adept selections for the movie struck the right chord, helping color the story. The soundtrack is jazzy sometimes, but mainly blues, appropriately. This literal approach worked. Blues is life and life is the blues.
Through the combined stroke of Wilson's pen and Wolfe's sensitive directing, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" reminds us to respect an artist's story and their art, because for Ma Rainey, her life was her art.
