Movies



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= __African American History in Film__ = ====One of the ways in which African American artists have included past historical events in their fictional and narrative works is through the cinema and in film. In this section of our Wiki, we plan on highlighting four different films that highlight various historical events through the movies. From the Civil War to Hip-Hop Culture, the depiction of African American history in film has never ceased to create controversy and empathy for their tragic past, allowing artist and directors to depict moments from a time that could have been considered lost...==== =__ **Glory - The Civil War** __=

Year of Release : 1989 Starring : Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman Directed by : Edward Zwick Running Time : 118 Minutes Budget : $18,000,000 Revenue : $26,828,365

This movie deals with the experience of African American soldiers that participated in the Civil War. As we learned in class, many African Americans were allowed to fight for the freedom of their country, while being denied their individual freedom. The plot of this film involves an officer in the Federal Amy who has volunteered to lead the first African American troops into battle. //Glory// explorers these aspects of the African American experience and highlights these prejudices. media type="youtube" key="8XuUGD7aa3E" height="414" width="641"

= = =__**Underworld - The Great Migration** __=

Year of Release : 1937 Starring : Lorenzo Tucker, Bee Freeman, Sol Johnson, Oscar Polk Directed by : Oscar Micheaux:

This movie deals with a young college student who travels into a big city, only to be engulfed by a life of crime and violence during "The Great Migration." It is important to note that this movie was in fact directed by Oscar Micheaux, who was the first African American to produce a feature length film. This movie is very much historical in these two aspects.

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__**Malcolm X - Human Rights** __
Year of Release : 1992 Starring : Denzel Washington, Christopher Plummer, Spike Lee Directed by : Spike Lee Running Time : 202 minutes Budget : $33,000,000 Revenue : $48,169,910

This movie tells the story of Malcolm X as portrayed by Denzel Washington. Malcolm X was also directed by Spike Lee, a famous African American director. Malcolm X was a human and civil rights activist, as well as a controversial Black Nationalist leader. This movie tells the story of his life and was praised by many critics of it's representation of Malcolm X.

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=__Boyz N The Hood : Hip-Hop Culture__=

Year of Release : 1991 Starring : Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube Morris Chestnut Directed by : John Singleton Running Time : 112 minutes Budget : $6,500,000 Revenue : $57,504,069

Boyz N The Hood tells the story of a group of friends in the ghetto of Los Angeles. This movie deals with a new kind of African American history, because gang related violence is very prominent in the United States. For many, gangs and the struggle of these particular African Americans is related to racial prejudice within the United States. This movie highlights many of these aspects. Boyz N The Hood was also one of the first movies to feature both Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube.

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