Framing Blackness: the African American image in film

270 Pages·1993·42.91 MB·English

by  Ed Guerrero

,.he African American
Imaae in Film

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ed~.ed by
Roberi:Sklar

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Temple University Press, Library of Congress
Philadelphia 19122 Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Copyright © 1993 by Guerrero, Edward.
Temple University Framing Blackness: the African
All rights reserved American image in film
Published 1993 I Edward Guerrero.
Printed in the United States p. cm.-(Culture and the
of America moving image)
Includes bibliographical references
The paper used in this publication
and index.
meets the minimum requirements
ISBN 1-56639-125-3-
of American National Standard for
ISBN 1-56639-126-1 (pbk.)
Information Sciences-Permanence of
1. Afro-Americans in motion
Paper for Printed Library Materials,
pictures. 1. Title. II. Series.
ANSI Z39.48-1984 @)
PN1995.9.N4G84 1993
Title page photo by Bob Marshak: 791.43'63520396073-dc20 93-831
Joe Morton, The Brother from Another CIP

Planet. Courtesy of John Sayles.
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To my daughters
Nanu and Sascha

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Contents
Illustrations, ix
Acknowledgments, xi
Introduction, 1
I From Birth to Blaxploitation:
Hollywood's Inscription of Slavery, 9
'I Slaves, Monsters, and Others:
Racial Fragment, Metaphor, and Allegory
on the Commercial Screen, 41
J The Rise and Fall of Blaxploitation, 69
4 Recuperation, Representation, and Resistance:
Black Cinema through the 1980s, 113

5 Black Film in the 1990s:
The New Black Movie Boom and Its Portents, 157
Notes, 215
Bibliography, 239
Index, 247
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Illustrations
From The Birth of a Nation
Gone With the Wind
Mandingo following page 35
From The Brother from Another Planet
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Star Wars following page 65
From Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Shaft
Superfiy
The Mack
A Piece of the Action
Cleopatra Jones
Coffy
Black Caesar following page 105
From The Blues Brothers
Hollywood Shuffie
She's Gotta Have It
Clara's Heart
Do the Right Thing following page 149

From House Party
Strictly Business
Juice
Daughters of the Dust
A Rage in Harlem
Mississippi Masala
Malcolm X following page 208
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