THE SCHOOL OF TARKOVSKY PART 24: MOVING IMAGERY

We took a little break from this but we're back looking at some of the visual similarities between Tarkovsky and filmmakers ranging from Claire Denis to Shane Carruth.

Enjoy

Nostalghia / The Intruder 

Andrei Rublev / Hana-Bi

The Mirror / Annihilation

The Mirror / Midsommar 

The Mirror / Midsommar

Sacrifices / Midsommar

The Mirror / The Neverending Story

Stalker / Archipelago

Ivan's Childhood / Pierrot Le Fou

Solaris / Upstream Color

The Sacrifice / Tree Of Life

Stalker  / Morvern Callar

Solaris /
Safe

Solaris / Taste Of Cement

Solaris / Happy Together

THE CINEMA OF BILL DUKE TOLD THROUGH IMAGES & STILLS

No matter the genre, Bill Duke's directorial work focuses primarily on people of color (Dark Girls, A Rage In Harlem, A Prince Among Slaves, Hoodlum, etc). Actually, I've always wondered why he, along with Carl Franklin, Charles Burnett & Wendell B. Harris, weren't included on that famous New York Times cover highlighting Black filmmakers in the early 90's. Bill Duke was just as active & prolific as some of the filmmakers that made the cover...

While Duke's films are enjoyed by folks of all races, I have a hard time believing the average non-black movie goer can truly appreciate something like Dark Girls or even A Rage In Harlem. 

I liken Bill Duke to someone like Tom Noonan. As actor's they've appeared in big budget action action films to low budget indies. But as filmmakers, their work is much more personal in contrast to The Last Action Hero (Noonan) or Commando (Duke)

After what seems like my millionth viewing of Deep Cover I came to the conclusion that not only is it a modern masterpiece, but Bill Duke's directorial work is unique & underrated.  There are many threads that run throughout all of his films and we're going to look at those now. 

Enjoy...

BLACK LEADING LADIES

There may be some strides & improvements in mainstream American movies these days but in the 80's & 90's, unless you were part of an elite/exclusive group of actresses (Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Basset, Rae Dawn Chong, etc), it was tough getting screen time.

While Bill Duke has worked with mega stars like Goldberg, he also utilized underused Black actresses like Victoria Dillard (Deep Cover) & underrated character actors like Loretta Divine (Hoodlum)

Deep Cover

Dark Girls

A Rage In Harlem

Hoodlum

Sister Act 2

Not Easily Broken

America's Dream

Cover

BLACK PRIDE, BLACK HISTORY & BLACK SKIN ON FILM

Bill Duke certainly doesn't shy away from Black pride. Weather its a documentary celebrating (and dissecting) dark skin, or throwing in subliminal imagery in to some of his films (see the image for Sister Act 2), he likes to celebrate his ethnicity...

Dark Girls

A Rage In Harlem

Deep Cover

Bill Duke sneaks in Historically Black College clothing in Sister Act 2

Hoodlum

A Prince Among Slaves

America's Dream

Deacons For Defense

MENACING VILLAINS

Stepping away from race for a moment (we'll delve back in to that later), Duke has a talent for crafting Villains that aren't just typical "bad guys" but rather menacing with little to no redeeming qualities.
It should be noted that some of these "villains" are based on very real people who were motivated by racism (Hoodlum & Deacons For Defense)

A Rage In Harlem

Deep Cover

Deep Cover

Hoodlum

The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery

Deacons For Defense

SPURTS OF VIOLENCE

Deep Cover

Deep Cover

A Rage In Harlem

Hoodlum

Deacons For Defense

Hoodlum

INFLUENCES & VISUAL SIMILARITIES

Who Framed Roger Rabbit / A Rage In Harlem

King Of New York /  Deep Cover

Deep Cover / Only God Forgives

Onibaba/Deep Cover

Screamin' Jay Hawkins in Mystery Train (L) / A Rage In Harlem (R)

RECURRING SETTING: CHURCH

Deacons For Defense

Hoodlum

Not Easily Broken

Sister Act 2

DARK LIGHTNING/NEO-NOIR

As a director Bill Duke has worked in almost every genre but Noir/Neo-Noir is the one genre he explores more than anything else. One element that makes his films extra noir-ish is the dark lighting and use of shadows...

Deep Cover

A Rage In Harlem

Hoodlum

Cover

FAMILY TIES

The relationships between siblings, cousins and parents & children are often strained, complicated or problematic (to say the least in some cases), but there is a bond/connection between blood relatives that often plays a major role in the plots of Bill Duke's movies.

a moment between brothers in A Rage In Harlem

Bumpy Johnson mourning his cousin in Hoodlum

Mother & Daughter in Sister Act 2

a father/son moment in Deep Cover

HIP-HOP CULTURE

Much like his peers & elders (Jim Jarmusch, Spike Lee, Ernest Dickerson & Abel Ferrara), Bill Duke embraced hip-hop culture when others turned their nose up at it.
"Deep Cover" was not only the theme song for the movie of the same name but it also put Death Row records on the map. Rakim hadn't record a song in five years prior to working on the Hoodlum soundtrack and Bill Duke occasionally casts (female) hip-hop artists in supporting roles.

Deep Cover

Def Jef's caemo in Deep Cover

Hoodlum

Queen Latifah in Hoodlum

Lauryn Hill in Sister Act 2

"BLACK HOLLYWOOD"

Actors like Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg & Forest Whitaker do "transcend" the racial lines in mainstream Hollywood from time to time, but their iconic status means a little more to Black audiences. Weather you're a veteran journeyman actor (Paul Benjamin), legend of 70's Black cinema (Glynn Turman & Cicely Tyson) or a mega-star like Glover & Goldberg, you're almost guaranteed a role in a Bill Duke film.
Some Black actors catch a lot of flack for "selling out" (which they sometimes do) but others aren't given credit for working with the few (talented) mainstream Black directors working today.

Wesley Snipes in America's Dream

Paul Benjamin in Hoodlum

Glynn Turman in Deep Cover

Clarence Williams in Deep Cover

Whoopi Golderberg in Sister Act 2

Danny Glover in A Rage In Harlem

Forest Whitaker in A Rage In Harlem

Cicely Tyson in Hoodlum

Ossie Davis in Deacons For Defense

Lou Gosset Jr. in Cover