Hollywood Shuffle

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Movie
German title Hollywood Shuffle
Original title Hollywood Shuffle
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1987
length 78 minutes
Rod
Director Robert Townsend
script Dom Irrera (unmentioned)
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Robert Townsend
production Robert Townsend
The Samuel Goldwyn Company
music Udi Harpaz
camera Peter Deming
cut WHERE Garrett
occupation

Hollywood Shuffle is a 1987 American comedy film that parodies the American film business and discrimination against African Americans . Robert Townsend wrote the script and directed. He processed his own experiences when he was told in the film business that he was “not black enough” for certain roles.

action

Bobby Taylor is a middle-class African American who wants to become an actor. He practices his texts in the bathroom with his younger brother Stevie. He trains a street slang ("jive talk") to audition for "Jivetime Jimmys Revenge", a film about street gangs . Bobby's grandmother hears the "jive talk" and shows her disapproval. His mother is supportive. Bobby assures his mother that if he gets the part it will change everything.

While auditioning, he meets other African American actors who are only offered humiliating roles. The only roles they can play are slaves , butlers, or street thugs. Some critical blacks tell Bobby that only an " Uncle Tom " would take on such roles.

Bobby plays a butler who wonders why the slaves abandon their masters if they are treated well by. This clip will then be used in a commercial for a "black drama school," where aspiring dark-skinned actors can learn how to speak gutter language so they can get roles like pimps , crooks, or muggers.

When Bobby is home, he receives a call from his agent and learns that his audition went well. Still, they want an " Eddie Murphy guy". Later that night, Bobby visits his uncle at the hairdresser's and expresses his doubts about pursuing his acting career. Ray encourages Bobby to give it a try and make his dream come true. During another audition, the director, writer and casting director are delighted with Bobby's performance, calling it "very black". You give him the main title role. When he's on set, he's not black enough for the director . When he realizes that he cannot and does not want to play the role, he gives up. His competitor steps in immediately. At the end you can see him filming unimportant commercials.

meaning

Hollywood Shuffle is considered a biting criticism of Hollywood and the role blacks have to play there. The film belongs to the so-called New Black Cinema .

In essence, it's about the only way a black actor can thrive if he plays humiliating roles and humiliates himself. This is symbolized by the casting director, who schwarzeres requested behavior. At the same time, the film criticizes black people who would take on such roles. This is made clear by the NAACP activist who says, "They'll never play the Rambos until they stop playing the Sambos " (Eng: "They'll never play the Rambos if they don't stop playing the Sambos"). Rambo in this context stands for the American superheroes and Sambo , based on Sambo's Grave in Sunderland Point, for a pathetic black man who does stupid menial work. The film also describes how middle-class black people voluntarily degrade themselves to street gangsters in order to be successful as actors.

The hip-hop group Public Enemy also addressed the role of black people in Hollywood on their album Fear of a Black Planet in 1991 (Track: Burn Hollywood ). The role of blacks in Hollywood is also satirically themed in the comedy Bowfinger's big number .

reception

Reviews

The film received good reviews overall. On Rotten Tomatoes , 87% of 23 reviews (from professional film critics) are positive.

Critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film. Richard Harrington of the Washington Post called him "funny and pointed".

Some critics accused Townsend of how he portrayed women and homosexuals. Sun threw Jami Bernard of the New York Post Townsend ago that while he protesting against discrimination against blacks, but also actively discriminates against homosexuals.

Gross profit

The film had a budget of about 100,000 US dollars and made a turnover that was fifty times higher: 5,228,617 US dollars.

Awards and nominations

1987 Deauville Film Festival

  • Grand Special Prize (Critics' Prize) - Robert Townsend (Winner)

1988 Independent Spirit Awards

  • Best First Work - Carl Craig, Robert Townsend (Nominated)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Scheer, Laurie. "The Eighties and Nineties." Creative Careers in Hollywood. New York: Allworth, 2002. 33. Print.
  2. ↑ a b c Berry, Torriano, and Venise T. Berry. The 50 Most Influential Black Films: a Celebration of African-American Talent, Determination, and Creativity. New York: Citadel / Kensington, 2001. 90-91. Print.
  3. ↑ Harriet, Margolis. "Sneaky Re-Views: Can Robert Townsend's Taste for Stereotypes Contribute Positively to Identity Politics?" Performing Gender and Comedy: Theories, Texts, and Contexts. By Shannon Eileen. Hengen. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Gordon and Breach, 1998. 199-214. Print.
  4. ↑ Hollywood Shuffle . Rotten tomatoes. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ Jim Emerson: Hollywood Shuffle Movie Review (1987) | Roger Ebert . Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  6. ↑ 'Hollywood Shuffle' . Washingtonpost.com. March 21, 1987. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  7. ↑ Hollywood Shuffle (1987). In: boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved April 27, 2017 (English).