Surprisingly good take for the Guardian.

I could be wrong, but I don't recall hearing the words Marx or Marxism uttered even once in the film. The Queen's Gambit had more mentions of Marxism-Leninism.

  • DasKarlBarx [he/him,comrade/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    From the article:

    But it largely ignores his Marxist, anti-capitalist politics

    Except the first time they show him on screen they use his "we don't fight capitalism with black capitalism" quote! They use the very quote this author is mad at Cory Booker for leaving a part out of!

    This is a 3000 word essay mad at the fact they didn't say communism in the movie.

    Everyone should read @bad's comment because they are right. It's a good movie and a very honest portrayal of Hampton AND of Hampton's politics.

    Akin Olla ... is the host of This Is the Revolution Podcast

    Its always a podcaster :deeper-sadness:

    I swear on my life leftist can't just like a movie anymore.

    • AlexisOhanian [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Doesn't that quote play in the background while the shot is focused on different characters? I saw someone say the same in another discussion thread.

      • DasKarlBarx [he/him,comrade/them]
        ·
        edit-2
        3 years ago

        If I remember correctly, it was playing while Hoover was giving a speech, BUT he stopped talking to let the clip play so it wasn't like he was talking over it (I just rewatched it right now and yeah they let it play so it wasn't being talked over and even though it wasn't the focus of the scene it was the focus of the moment).

        Even still, the first time the actual character is in the movie not on a video, he talks about not accepting liberal reforms (a school got a building name changed) and says that revolution flows from the barrel of a gun and that they only believe in revolutionary culture.

        • AlexisOhanian [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Nice, I've been meaning to watch it so I'm glad to hear it isn't as watered down as the other film portrayals of civil rights leaders.

          • DasKarlBarx [he/him,comrade/them]
            ·
            3 years ago

            I've said it before somewhere, but its honestly the best, most honest portrayal of a revolutionary I can remember.

            I have some nitpicks of the movie, but overall I loved it. Its probably more enjoyable and eye-opening for people who knew nothing of the story or were just taught that the Panthers were the black version of the KKK instead of uber-online leftists who have read books about Hampton and watched other docs about the Panthers.

    • astigmatic [none/use name]
      ·
      3 years ago

      I don’t get why people wanted the movie to be a documentary on the Black Panthers’ activities. It’s not even a biopic. It’s a crime/snitch movie about Hampton’s betrayal by O’Neal. It tells that story and it tells it well. How much Marx or Mao were mentioned didn’t really factor into the movie’s quality, and even then, the BPP’s political inclinations are made abundantly clear. I guess it’s too bad they didn’t use the word “communism” so all the criticism could be directed at other aspects of the movie.