Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is less about the music and more about the power struggles within the band. It’s not a film full of joyful performances, but the tension and raw emotion work. Viola Davis is phenomenal, and Chadwick Boseman delivers a powerful final performance. The film nails the gritty vibe of 1927, reminding me a bit of the atmosphere in video games like Mafia, which is a plus. (07.01.2021)

Something about Ma Rainey's Black Bottom didn't sit right with me during the screening – it felt "unbalanced". The performances of Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, as well as other members of the band, are undoubtedly noteworthy, but narratively the film struck me as a kind of first-person account of an (un)ordinary day in the life of African-American artists in 1927, which is certainly due to the fact that it is an adaptation of a stage play. The film is full of dialogue and (unsurprisingly) music, and has two or three strong moments, but I still had quite a problem sympathising and empathising with the characters. I really liked the art styling and costumes, I would only have a complaint about Viola Davis' (chubby) costume, which was visible in places. (21.04.2021)