Redefining Black Film

Can films about black characters, produced by white filmmakers, be considered “black films”? In answering this question, Mark Reid reassesses black film history, carefully distinguishing between films controlled by Blacks and films that utilize black talent, but are controlled by Whites. Previous black film criticism has “buried” the true black film industry, Reid says, by concentrating on films that are about, but not by, Blacks. Reid’s discussion of black independent films – defined as films that focus on the black community and that are written, directed, produced and distributed by Blacks – ranges from the earliest black involvement at the turn of the century up to the recent resurgence of feminism in black cultural production. His critical assessment of work by black filmmakers such as Spike Lee notes how these films avoid dramatizations of sexism, homophobia and class within the black community.

Author Biography

Mark A. Reid is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He has written extensively on black cinema.