MA RAINEY’s BLACK BOTTOM REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

The news of Chadwick Boseman’s death from colon cancer on August 28th shocked the world because he kept his illness private. It was revealed that Boseman’s final performance would be in George C. Wolfe’s adaptation of August Wilson’s play, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which has just been released on Netflix.

Tensions and temperatures rise over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago as a band of musicians await trailblazing performer, the legendary "Mother of the Blues," Ma Rainey (Viola Davis). Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music. As the band waits in the studio's claustrophobic rehearsal room, ambitious trumpeter Levee (Boseman) – who has an eye for Ma's girlfriend and is determined to stake his own claim on the music industry – spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories, truths, and lies that will forever change the course of their lives. Levee's ambition to start his own band also has him soliciting the managers and producers, requiring him to relive previous traumas.

With Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Wolfe has created a compelling drama filled with fascinating and memorable characters. It also serves as a perfect swan song for Boseman who delivered one of his best dramatic performances that is sure to see him recognised by the Academy when nominations are announced next year. Although the film is titled Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, it’s Levee who has the most screen time and is the most interesting character as he’s ambitious and charming, however, he’s experienced trauma in his childhood. In a moving monologue, Levee opens up about the time he was attacked by a white man with a knife. Whilst delivering the monologue, you can see tears in his eyes as he’s remembering the horrific ordeal. Although I know that a lot of people aren’t interested in watching films that are based on stage plays, however, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is entirely worth watching just for Boseman’s powerful and unforgettable performance. Davis’ performance is also worth mentioning as, although Ma Rainey isn’t the most likeable of characters, she captures the singer’s bossy and diva-like personality and steals almost every scene she appears in. Most of the drama comes from Ma Rainey’s demands and her insistence that her nephew, Sylvester (Dusan Brown), introduce the songs despite his stammer. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is at its best when it’s focusing on Levee and Ma Rainey as they’re the most fascinating characters. 

This marks the second time that one of Wilson’s play has been adapted into a feature film with the first being Fences, which was released in 2016 and directed by Denzel Washington. It also starred Davis and earned her her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. I watched Fences and, although I liked it, especially the performances delivered by Davis and Washington, I found it a bit long, with a runtime of 139 minutes. Fortunately, runtime isn’t an issue with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, as it’s only 94 minutes and makes for a quick and easy watch. Those who enjoyed Fences will almost certainly like what Wolfe has created with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, as both films are compelling, character-driven dramas. I haven’t seen Wilson’s play so I can’t say if Wolfe’s film is faithful to its source material, however, judging from the film, I can understand why the director wanted to bring the play from the stage to the screen as it offers viewers, who aren’t familiar with the original play, to experience it in the form of film. Because I hadn’t seen the original play, I didn’t know what to expect from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Fortunately, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. 

Usually, this time of year sees the release of Oscar-worthy films which are those that have the potential to be nominated by the Academy next year. I can’t imagine Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom going unrecognised as it’s the type of film that gets noticed and that’s one that features strong performances and tells an original story. Although it’s almost certain that Boseman will be nominated, there’s been a debate over whether he should be nominated in the Leading or Supporting category. Many believe that, because he has the most screen time, Boseman should receive a Leading Actor nomination, however, there are those that are worried that he’ll have less chance of winning due to ongoing buzz surrounding Anthony Hopkins’ performance in the upcoming The Father and Delroy Lindo’s performance in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods. Although I haven’t seen the former, I recently watched the latter and was impressed by Lindo’s performance and can understand why he’s receiving so much attention. While I think Boseman’s performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is more of a leading role, due to his commanding presence, I think that he might have a better chance of winning if he’s in the Supporting category. I also think that, if he does end up winning for Leading, there will be those who think he only won due to the tragic circumstances rather than his performance and will think that Lindo should have won. However, this is just my opinion.

Aside from the two brilliant performances by Boseman and Davis, another impressive aspect of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is the make-up and costume design. A lot of hard work has gone into transforming Davis into the glamorous Ma Rainey. 

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom also introduces viewers to the legendary "Mother of the Blues", Ma Rainey herself. Because she's portrayed as a perfectionist, it's clear to see that Ma Rainey has a love for blues music and is only interested in recording with the band if they do it her way. This leads to a conflict between Ma Rainey and Levee who has his own ideas. Fans of blues music will almost certainly find Ma Rainey's Black Bottom to be a fascinating watch as they learn about its origins. 

Although Netflix provided its subscribers with escapism through entertaining films and binge worthy series, however, their recent releases have consisted of serious films that have Oscar potential including Da 5 Bloods, Aaron Sorkin's courtroom drama, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and David Fincher's biopic, Mank. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom isn’t the best of the latest films to be released on Netflix, however, it’s worth a watch, mainly for Boseman's unforgettable performance and for those looking for a compelling drama to watch.

8/10