Black Love, Silver Screen
By Kelley L. Carter
A noted entertainment journalist counts down her top five black love films of all time.
5. What’s Love Got To Do With It
I know: this film threw a harsh light on the behind-the-scenes domestic squabbles between the late Ike Turner and Tina Turner. That’s serious business, to be sure. But let’s focus—for the purpose of this column—on falling in love with the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Love him or hate him, Ike Turner recorded the first legit rock song with “Rocket 88,” and in the scene where Turner (played marvelously by Laurence Fishburne) and Tina (played almost effortlessly by Angela Bassett) first lay eyes on one another, we fall in love too. He’s strumming the song at a St. Louis juke joint, while a young, naïve Mississippi gal by the name of Anna Mae Bullock is falling for the man playing the music. And at the same time we, the audience, are falling for his sound. And of course, we’re not the only ones. If you know anything about Ike, then you know that Elvis Presley (the so-called King of Rock ‘n’ Roll) used to sneak into Ike’s shows to cop his moves, his styles, his delivery. This movie gives us a glimpse at the real birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll, as well as a taste of the music that brought two tragic lovers together.
4. Purple Rain
“I never meant to cause you any sorrow; I never meant to cause you any pain.” Oh yeah—I can see you mouthing the rest of the lyrics as you’re reading this. That delicious-looking androgynous rock star, delivered a classic soundtrack for the 1984 flick that I had to bribe my young Uncle Cecil to sneak me into. But great music aside, who can forget that electric passion that ignited when Prince and Apollonia first locked eyes. There’s a reason why she stripped down naked to purify herself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka, and I can guarantee you, it had absolutely nothing to do with her getting a record deal.
3. Hav Plenty
I have to admit that when I first saw this indie flick I was a bit underwhelmed. But back then, I hadn’t had the pleasure of being in love. Second time was a charm for me, and boy did it hit me—but good. This film takes us on a weekend trip with Lee Plenty (Christopher Scott Cherot) and his not-so-secret love interest Havilland Savage (Chenoa Maxwell), plus her wild, bougie family. There’s a great story behind this little film that could: writer-director-actor Cherot financed it from his earnings as a NYC cab driver and by taking a third mortgage of his mom’s house. In time, Warrington Hudlin and Bill Duke saw it, and Cherot got an invite to the Acapulco Black Film Festival. A month later it opened the first night at the festival. Even better? Tracey Edmonds and Babyface saw it, loved it, and created an incredible soundtrack to go with it. But beyond the amazing back-story, you’ve got to love this smart send-up of buppy foibles, and Cherot’s fresh, honest, bittersweet take on romance.
2. The Wood
Please tell me that we all were this awkward when we were in junior high school? Good. That’s exactly why this movie resonated with me. Well, that and it’s a rare glimpse into the straight love that brothers have for one another, and how it stands the test of time. As women, I don’t think we really get the affection (no homo) that men have for one another, and this film gives us a nice fly-on-the-wall view at what they talk about when we’re not around. Plus, let’s keep it real: you throw the triple-chocolate effect that is Taye Diggs, Omar Epps and Richard T. Jones together and mix in a good stonewash and Major Damage Jeans–worthy soundtrack of classic ’80s R&B and hip-hop (who didn’t “social” to “If This World Were Mine” back in the day?), and you’ve got a good look.
1. Poetic Justice
Regina King’s infamous, funny girlfriend-verbally-abusing-boyfriend line aside (“finish brushing that weak ass fade!”), you couldn’t ask for a better portrayal of ’hood love than John Singleton’s 1993 “Street Romance.” You’ve got Penny from Good Times (a sexy, grown-as-hell Janet Jackson) and Rolland Bishop from Juice (a thug-telligent Tupac) traveling in a postal truck on a trip from South Central to Oakland. Predictably, they find that they have a growing attraction for one another. And somewhere along the way, Janet’s character finds the meaning of life. Bygones.
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