CHENNAI: A brilliant Netflix documentary that has been written, directed and narrated by New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell, “Is That Black Enough For You?” summarizes the African American contribution to cinema in a gripping 135 minutes.
Covering two decades, including the vital 1970s, Mitchell uses clips of 100-odd films that articulate the progress of Black cinema at a time when race relations in the US were churning, especially after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The documentary is as incredible as it is ambitious, intercutting the clips with incisive interviews with more than a dozen key voices, including Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, Sidney Poitier and a witty Harry Belafonte.
As much as these people elevate Mitchell’s work, the real credit must go to him for the way he has neatly and precisely packaged it — the way Mitchell's frames move seamlessly is truly impressive. It is a masterly attempt by a debutant director who underlines what Black actors and directors did to enter mainstream American cinema. Co-produced by Steven Soderbergh and David Fincher, “Is That Black Enough For You?” features a deeply touching analysis of the most crucial decade — 1968 to 1978 — when Black cinema struggled to take shape through movies like “Lilies of the Field,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “To Sir With Love.” The work offers an insightful analysis of “blaxploitation,” a subgenre of films that featured Black actors in a transparent effort to appeal to Black urban audiences.
We learn about counter culture, civil rights and the misunderstanding between Belafonte (who said no to playing restaurant waiters, handymen and other stereotypical roles) and Poitier, who managed to be accepted by mainstream White American cinema.
“It’s been a lifetime of watching, and thinking, and writing about movies,” Mitchell muses at one point. And that much is apparent in this deeply knowledgeable work created with obvious passion.
