Today's accomplished black filmmakers have made great strides in exposing a still ignorant society to the inner workings of modern African-American culture. With films like "Do the Right Thing," "Menace II Society" and "Fresh," young, African-American auteurs have brought to light the pitfalls and problems of growing up as a black man in America today.
One of the strongest of these voices is John Singleton. With his first feature, "Boyz in the Hood," Singleton, then 24, became the youngest director, as well as the first African-American director, to be nominated for a Best Director Oscar.
"Rosewood" is Singleton's fourth and latest film. It is a film based on a series of events at the very beginning of 1923 that surely comprise some of the darkest times in American history.
When a white woman from nearby Sumner claimed she had been assaulted by a black man, the residents formed a mob which resulted in the murders of at least six residents of mostly black Rosewood, Florida. The hysteria of the mob continued to grow until the entire town of Rosewood was burned to the ground, save the general store, which was owned by John Wright (Jon Voight), a white man.
In the nearly week-long killing spree, women and children had to escape into the nearby swamps where they were hunted down, while men like Sylvester Carrier (Don Cheadle), who killed at least two white men, fought for their homes and their lives.
The State of Florida never prosecuted anyone, and the town of Rosewood was never rebuilt. In fact, Florida only recently agreed to pay reparations to the victims of the massacre when some of the survivors, young children at the time, testified to the Legislature.
Clearly, this is a subject of great importance. The facts, however, are limited, as the slaughter was only investigated recently. Although only eight black residents were officially determined to have been killed, survivors testified that it was many more.
Because of the limited amount of facts about the Rosewood massacre, the film has been highly fictionalized. Although it was never known who assaulted the woman, the movie creates for her a white lover (Robert Patrick) who beats her.
The script by Robert Poirier also creates a fictional African-American World War I vet, known simply as Mr. Mann (Ving Rhames), who becomes the centerpiece of the movie.
Singleton has become very adept at creating beautiful compositions within his frame. "Rosewood" is gorgeous and colorful with wonderful production values. Singleton also attacks this film with gusto and spirit, creating a film which never lacks for energy or excitement.
Unfortunately, this is "Rosewood"'s biggest downfall. The script spends so much time on the heroic exploits of the fictional Mann that the film loses much of the historical relevance it might have possessed and instead becomes something of an action movie.
Not only does the film become an action movie, but it degenerates into a cliched action movie. We are treated to train chases, daring escapes, bullet dodging and last minute rescues. The film claims to be for the residents of Rosewood who withstood such a dark moment in American history.
But instead of focusing on the residents, the film focuses on Mann, a visitor who is just passing through. His presence undermines the heroism of the original residents, including the women who actually shepherded many children to safety through the swamps. In Singleton's interpretation, the women and children seem almost ineffectual until Mann rides to the rescue.
Usually a very fine actor, Rhames' Mann seems as wooden and one-dimensional as a Sylvester Stallone action hero. Voight's Wright is a more complicated man. Although he doesn't seem to support racial equality, he does hide many of the town's residents in his home.
All in all, "Rosewood" is a disappointment. It has its fine qualities, and is commendable for bringing such a topic into the light.The first third of the movie is engaging and thought-provoking.
However, when the killing starts, the potential of the movie is never realized. We are given a taste of true character, both black and white, at the beginning of the movie, but suddenly everyone becomes one-dimensional, fulfilling such stereotyped roles as the evil redneck, the matronly black grandmother, the love interest and the frustrated sheriff.
"Rosewood" also falls prey to one flaw that Singleton seems not to have been able to shake from his previous films: it is overly didactic. Symbolism is obvious and overused, and Singleton's message is forced rather than discovered.
Singleton has improved in many ways as a director. He seems to have more of an eye for pacing and plot. His aesthetic eye is brilliant. But a subject such as "Rosewood" deserves a more intimate and revealing treatment instead of an action movie with a conscience.
