by Susan Ellis
n 1923, in a matter of
days, the prosperous black town of Rosewood, Florida, was completely destroyed
by a lynch mob after a white woman from the nearby town of Sumner accused
a black man of beating her. For 60 years, the brutality that occurred in
Rosewood remained largely untold until a journalist pieced together the
tale in the '80s, which eventually led to legislation that offered reparations
to the town's survivors and their families in 1993. With the film Rosewood,
director John Singleton takes on these horrific events with a determination
that leaves the film shocking in what it presents but narrow in its scope.
The first hour of the film is
devoted to setting the stage. In Rosewood, the black citizens have built
a strong community. They have jobs and own property. The only white person
who lives in the town is Mr. Wright (Jon Voight), the owner of the town
store, who is distantly friendly to his customers. The townspeople are much
more accepting of the large stranger who calls himself Mr. Mann (Ving Rhames)
and who mysteriously appears one day on a horse named Booker T. carrying
a large amount of cash. On the night of his arrival, he's given New Year's
Eve dinner and introduced to a potential mate. Just over the tracks in predominantly
white Sumner, things are less ideal, and while the people of both towns
mingle peacefully, there's an unmistakable tension just underneath the surface.
The peace is shattered by the cries of white woman who, to cover up a beating she received from her lover, takes to the streets of Sumner claiming her bruises were from the hand of an unknown black man. Instantly outraged, the men of Sumner cross the tracks to Rosewood to find the culprit. The rowdy, drunken men kill two black men, and when there is some retaliation, the situation soon grows out of control. As Rosewood burns and its men are hanged, Mann leads whatever women and children he can find into the surrounding woods to hide. Meanwhile, Wright finds himself torn by the abuses suffered by his customers (his bread and butter) and the mob demanding he stand by his race.
In telling about these incredibly sad events, Singleton is particularly strong when he focuses in on the irony of the situation. In one scene, when matters have escalated and rednecks from other communities have joined the fray, the smoldering town of Rosewood has become a picnic area. A group of men choose to record the moment, happily posing for a photograph with their guns. A woman commands her son to study and fondly remember the writhing figure of a man just hanged. It's absurd and disgusting.
Less successful are most of the depictions of both the black and white characters. For the most part, they are stereotypically divided into good and evil. The exceptions to this come in the characters of Mann and Wright. As played by the understatedly tough Rhames, Mann is truly the odd man out, a man of a seemingly different era, riding into town cowboy-like chomping on a cigar. He's a drifter looking for a quiet place to settle. He doesn't want any part of the trouble brewing in Rosewood and only gets involved when there is no other option. As for Wright, he's got his weaknesses. He carries on with his store clerk and his primary aim is to make a buck, but within these frailties is a shred of decency that pops up unexpectedly, and Voight never betrays how this character is going to turn.
At the screening I attended, there were a lot of children present, undoubtedly brought by their parents for a big-screen history lesson. Rosewood is too rough for small children. It will probably give them nightmares. Certainly, it gives everyone who sees it something to think about.
THE FRENCH FILM THIEVES concerns the murder of Ivan (Didier Bezace), the leader of a stolen car ring. At the center of this crime is the man's brother, Alex (Daniel Auteuil), a detective shunned by his family for not choosing to go into the family business. Before his brother's death, Alex became involved with Juliette (Laurence Cote), a shoplifter and an employee of Ivan's. In addition to the forbidden aspect of their union, Alex is intrigued by Juliette's relationship with her philosophy professor Marie (Catherine Deneuve). After Ivan's murder, Juliette has a breakdown, then disappears, so Alex and Marie share information concerning her.
Directed by AndrŽ TŽchinŽ, Thieves is something of a tease. Told in a series of flashbacks, the audience is given small details on the night Ivan died, the relationship of Alex and Juliette and that of Juliette and Marie, only to be jerked back to a previous moment. It's an effective strategy that builds the sense of intrigue and the idea that all of the characters are at loose ends.
Deneuve give a particularly dignified performance as woman teetering at the edge. The Alex character makes a nice counterpoint to Marie. As sensitive as Marie is, Alex is cold and driven almost entirely by his need to know. Through his carriage and stern demeanor, Auteuil reveals this man to be someone who is completely alone. Together, Marie's and Alex's individual obsessions complement one another, giving their meetings a nearly romantic glow.
Thieves opens this Friday at the Cinema Showcase 12.