Review: Rosewood

Based on true events in Florida in the 1920s, where in the town of Sumner, a white woman (Catherine Kellner) is beaten up by the man (Robert Patrick) she’s been having an affair with. To avoid catching hell for her indiscretion she tells her husband (Loren Dean) that she was beaten (but not raped) by an unknown black man. Her African-American maid (Esther Rolle of TV’s “Good Times”) witnesses the event but remains silent, choosing to stay out of others’ affairs, probably out of fear. Near Sumner is the small town of the film’s title, a place mostly populated by African-Americans. The locals of Sumner are mostly ignorant rednecks who resent the relative prosperity of the blacks in Rosewood, and this lie just gives nasty crackers like Bruce McGill’s bushy-bearded dad the ammunition to start a lynch mob. Word of a chain-gang escapee on the loose doesn’t help matters, either. This in turn would lead to a massacre of anywhere between 70 and 250 African-Americans, depending on which source you believe (the figures are a bit dodgy). Reticent white grocer in Rosewood Mr. Wright (Jon Voight), is one of the few non-blacks in town, and generally likes to stay out of trouble (aside from having an affair with his young African-American clerk). However, he is taken aback by the arrival of a strapping African-American stranger named Mann (Ving Rhames) who rides into town, money in hand and buys land at an auction that Voight had hoped to buy for himself and his family. This puts him somewhat in a precarious situation, as he doesn’t much like Mann, doesn’t much like getting involved, but he’s ultimately a good and decent man. What to do? A mentally scarred WWI veteran, Mann wants no trouble either, but ultimately sets about coming to the aid of the besieged townsfolk once the fit hits the shan. Michael Rooker turns up as the white sheriff who at first tries to calm the lynch mob, but quickly proves entirely ineffectual. Don Cheadle plays Sylvester, one of the African-American residents of Rosewood who stubbornly (and aggressively) refuses to leave town when all hell starts to come knocking. Badja Djola, Paul Benjamin, and “Elm St. 3” actor Ken Sagoes appear as locals, with the latter playing a hulking man with low IQ. Muse Watson, Jaimz Woolvett (as the racist deputy), and Mark Boone Junior are among the redneck lynch mob. Elise Neal plays the unfortunately nicknamed ‘Scrappie’, who has designs on that big hunka man, Mann.

 

John Singleton (“Boyz N the Hood”, “Higher Learning”, “Shaft”) is an uneven filmmaker but I’ve always liked him more than Spike Lee (I love “Malcolm X”, however) because after his startling debut with “Boyz N the Hood”, he’s mostly focused more on making movies instead of making statements. Whilst Spike’s head is up his own arse (aside from the rather mainstream, plot-driven “Inside Man”) makes films that combine both engaging storytelling (or at least attempt to, “2 Fast 2 Furious” was shite) and social messages. Aside from “Boyz” (a fine film, don’t get me wrong) Singleton hasn’t always tried to beat you over the head with his message at the expense of giving you your money’s worth in the movie theatre. I still say his “Higher Learning” is incredibly underrated, for instance and his remake of “Shaft” was a lot better than it could’ve been. This 1997 account of a true (and truly horrific) event manages to be horrifying and harrowing, without forgetting to be a movie too. It’s overlong and a little too melodramatic for some, but for the most part, this is truly disturbing and fascinating stuff.

 

I’ve heard some criticisms of the supposedly one-note portrayal of the racist white people in this film as ignorant, “Deliverance”-types, but I’m fine with that. Not all racists are toothless and seriously lacking in intelligence, but some are, and I believe these particular characters are convincing. One must remember that this is an extremely touchy, deeply-felt subject being told by an African-American filmmaker, so whilst I think the film is far from caricatured, one can understand why Singleton might slant things in a certain way. This is the African-American point of view, sure (or at least one African-American’s view), but it’s surely a cause most clear-thinking, good-hearted people agree with. To paint these guys as anything less than the creeps they deserve to be painted as, would be something that surely no filmmaker would try to do, white or black.

 

These are strong, vivid portrayals to say the least. Especially frightening is veteran character actor Bruce McGill as one of the most despicable human beings to have ever called himself a father. The things he says and does here are extremely disturbing, as he exposes his poor son to his ignorant venom, brutality, and overall monstrous behaviour (Less effective is a later scene where the son tells his dad what he really thinks of him. Nope, sounded too forced to me. Didn’t buy it). McGill is but one of several top performers on display here (It’s nice to see old pros Esther Rolle and Paul Benjamin, the latter is especially moving). Jon “Deliverance” Voight, an erratic actor to say the least, has one of his best parts here as a rather conflicted white man. He knows right from wrong but is extremely reticent to act (if not downright ambivalent about it at times), and has no great desire to help the man (Ving Rhames) who beat him to the punch in purchasing property. He’s also frightened of losing what he already has- his family and his general store- should he take sides. It is in this character that Singleton and writer Gregory Poirier try to inject some decency, morality, and more importantly depth amongst the white characters.

 

Somewhere in between these two characters exists the characterisation of the town sheriff by Michael Rooker, who played a white supremacist bully in the excellent “Mississippi Burning”. Rooker is a much underrated actor with a voice so hoarse it sounds like he’s constantly in pain. He gives perhaps the most pathetic performance in the film, in a good way. This guy is so weak-willed (and probably deep-down just as racist as anyone) that he is completely out of his depth wearing that badge. He’s a very troubling character indeed.

 

And then there’s Ving Rhames (A man if ever there was one!), in the film’s only true dramatic invention. The character isn’t based on anyone in the real incident, but it largely matters not, because Rhames towers over everyone here with a strong, imposing performance full of presence, charisma, and quiet badassery. His character also brings a bit of genre storytelling with it, as he kind of acts like a Clint Eastwood-esque ‘Man With No Name’ type...except his name really is given as ‘Mann’ in the film. The way he rides into town on his horse, cigar in mouth, and gets involved in the struggle of others (plus a late scene involving a train), really does give off a western vibe that perhaps helps make some very heavy subject matter more palatable (and gives it a huge, epic feel, and more regrettably, epic-length). It’s all well and good to deride a film for turning a serious subject into populist entertainment (not that the film is ‘entertaining’ as such), but if this approach weren’t taken, I’m not so sure that many people would’ve been exposed to the story. You’d want people to learn about this story, right? So I really liked Rhames’ character’s position in this film and didn’t mind so much that he was a Singleton/Poirier invention. Some will be turned off by the mix of harrowing realism and cinematic name-checking (there’s a similar- if more overtly nasty and racially motivated- portrayal of the lynch mob mentality to William Wellman’s classic western “The Ox-Bow Incident”), but I don’t see strange bedfellows at work here at all. Rhames brings depth to his part (WWI mental scars, a tenderness towards Elise Neal’s character, etc.) and hell, at least there’s no ‘Great White Hope’ saving the black characters here, a common criticism of films like this (which I tend to deal with on a case by case basis, myself. For instance it didn’t bother me at all in “Mississippi Burning”).

 

Is the film manipulative? Not really, I mean, if you need to be moved by Singleton into championing the cause for the African-Americans here, there’s something seriously wrong with you. Mostly the film just is what it is, though no doubt the African-American characters might’ve been a little more 3D in real-life than they are here, but like I said, this is Singleton’s interpretation of things, so I’m fine with that. This is strong, persuasive filmmaking and a harrowing story about some of the worst things committed by white people against ‘the other’. Those weak of stomach might find it too much, but I think this is a story everyone needs to know about. Terrific cinematography by Johnny E. Jensen is a highlight, giving the film a much ‘bigger’ and expensive look to it than any other Singleton film I’ve seen.

 

Rating: B