Post by klep on Jun 17, 2019 6:54:53 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 6/17: The Watermelon Woman
PRIDE WEEK!
Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman is a difficult film for me to write about. It's so specific to a life experience that's foreign to me that I'm afraid I'm going to trip over myself or miss something important. But at the same time Dunye has managed to craft a film that feels like it gives me some insight into her world, and lets me at least catch a glimpse of a struggle that I - as a straight, white, middle-class male - will never have to face.
Dunye plays a lightly fictionalized version of herself in the film - a gay aspiring filmmaker taking shifts at a video store while she works on her own film project. She's been investigating the history of black women in film, particularly in the early days of Hollywood when black women were almost entirely relegated to 'mammy' roles and often went uncredited.
She's drawn in particular to one woman's performance in a film called Plantation Memories who is only ever credited as "The Watermelon Woman." And so she takes it on herself to track down this elusive figure both to satiate her own curiosity and to help shed light on this hidden history.
As Cheryl conducts her search, Dunye splices in footage of Cheryl's life to give context. She is aided by her friend Tamara (Valarie Walker), but their friendship is strained by Tamara having different ideas of how to live life - expressing her disapproval of almost everything Cheryl does. It's clear that they have a bond, but it's equally clear that bond is just one bad incident away from snapping.
Cheryl's investigation takes her all around Philadelphia as she talks to family, friends, and academics. One particularly hilarious sequence takes her to the offices of the Center for Lesbian Information and Technology (CLIT). Another takes her to actual cultural critic Camille Paglia (playing herself) who jarringly rejects black criticism of the 'mammy' archetype, casting the mammy as a goddess figure in a moment that at least to me felt pretty racist (racist of the character, that is, not the film).
But what really makes Cheryl's story impactful and drives home the significance of The Watermelon Woman is when she discovers that the (fictional) actress she's been researching - named Fae Richards (Lisa Marie Bronson) - was also a lesbian. Suddenly Cheryl not only feels she understands why she was drawn to this particular actress, but she also feels a kinship to a woman she's respected and admired on screen. She suddenly feels represented in a way she hadn't before. Not only was there a black woman working in early Hollywood, but a gay black woman!
Dunye investigates Cheryl's identity in other ways as well, some with more success than others. A scene where Cheryl is needlessly accosted by police is realistic, but is inserted somewhat arbitrarily in the film and doesn't have any follow-through. Far more interesting is Cheryl's developing relationship with Diana (Guinevere Turner), a white woman. Dunye initially shows us the frustration Cheryl feels as the authenticity of her relationship is questioned as well as whether it signifies a rejection of her identity (from Tamara, natch). And later we see the beginning of the relationship's end as Diana's revelation of past black boyfriends both hurts and confuses Cheryl, now uncertain whether Diana truly cares for her or just fetishizes her.
By films' end Cheryl has ended or suspended her relationships with both Tamara and Diana. But rather than isolated and lonely, she seems to be newly fulfilled. The most important thing in her life was always film, and the Watermelon Woman has given her a deeper connection to the medium's history than she had ever imagined. So simple a thing as seeing someone who shared her identity and had a relatable life experience on-screen gave Cheryl an energy and thirst to move forward and do more. People in her life may come and go, but she will always have that indelible connection to an art form she loves.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 6/24: Y Tu Mamá También
SUMMER WEEK!
Alfonso Cuarón's road trip film about a couple of teenage friends taking a road trip with an older woman in Mexico is our selection for Summer Week. It evokes the lazy, obligation-light days of summer in our youth. Come join us next week for our discussion of this widely renowned film, available on Criterion Channel, Netflix Instant, and for rent on Amazon Video.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 6/18: Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Godzilla's latest feature is the topic of next week's podcast episode, and we'll have a thread on Wednesday to discuss it! Godzilla: King of the Monsters is still in theaters.
PRIDE WEEK!
Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman is a difficult film for me to write about. It's so specific to a life experience that's foreign to me that I'm afraid I'm going to trip over myself or miss something important. But at the same time Dunye has managed to craft a film that feels like it gives me some insight into her world, and lets me at least catch a glimpse of a struggle that I - as a straight, white, middle-class male - will never have to face.
Dunye plays a lightly fictionalized version of herself in the film - a gay aspiring filmmaker taking shifts at a video store while she works on her own film project. She's been investigating the history of black women in film, particularly in the early days of Hollywood when black women were almost entirely relegated to 'mammy' roles and often went uncredited.
She's drawn in particular to one woman's performance in a film called Plantation Memories who is only ever credited as "The Watermelon Woman." And so she takes it on herself to track down this elusive figure both to satiate her own curiosity and to help shed light on this hidden history.
As Cheryl conducts her search, Dunye splices in footage of Cheryl's life to give context. She is aided by her friend Tamara (Valarie Walker), but their friendship is strained by Tamara having different ideas of how to live life - expressing her disapproval of almost everything Cheryl does. It's clear that they have a bond, but it's equally clear that bond is just one bad incident away from snapping.
Cheryl's investigation takes her all around Philadelphia as she talks to family, friends, and academics. One particularly hilarious sequence takes her to the offices of the Center for Lesbian Information and Technology (CLIT). Another takes her to actual cultural critic Camille Paglia (playing herself) who jarringly rejects black criticism of the 'mammy' archetype, casting the mammy as a goddess figure in a moment that at least to me felt pretty racist (racist of the character, that is, not the film).
But what really makes Cheryl's story impactful and drives home the significance of The Watermelon Woman is when she discovers that the (fictional) actress she's been researching - named Fae Richards (Lisa Marie Bronson) - was also a lesbian. Suddenly Cheryl not only feels she understands why she was drawn to this particular actress, but she also feels a kinship to a woman she's respected and admired on screen. She suddenly feels represented in a way she hadn't before. Not only was there a black woman working in early Hollywood, but a gay black woman!
Dunye investigates Cheryl's identity in other ways as well, some with more success than others. A scene where Cheryl is needlessly accosted by police is realistic, but is inserted somewhat arbitrarily in the film and doesn't have any follow-through. Far more interesting is Cheryl's developing relationship with Diana (Guinevere Turner), a white woman. Dunye initially shows us the frustration Cheryl feels as the authenticity of her relationship is questioned as well as whether it signifies a rejection of her identity (from Tamara, natch). And later we see the beginning of the relationship's end as Diana's revelation of past black boyfriends both hurts and confuses Cheryl, now uncertain whether Diana truly cares for her or just fetishizes her.
By films' end Cheryl has ended or suspended her relationships with both Tamara and Diana. But rather than isolated and lonely, she seems to be newly fulfilled. The most important thing in her life was always film, and the Watermelon Woman has given her a deeper connection to the medium's history than she had ever imagined. So simple a thing as seeing someone who shared her identity and had a relatable life experience on-screen gave Cheryl an energy and thirst to move forward and do more. People in her life may come and go, but she will always have that indelible connection to an art form she loves.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 6/24: Y Tu Mamá También
SUMMER WEEK!
Alfonso Cuarón's road trip film about a couple of teenage friends taking a road trip with an older woman in Mexico is our selection for Summer Week. It evokes the lazy, obligation-light days of summer in our youth. Come join us next week for our discussion of this widely renowned film, available on Criterion Channel, Netflix Instant, and for rent on Amazon Video.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 6/18: Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Godzilla's latest feature is the topic of next week's podcast episode, and we'll have a thread on Wednesday to discuss it! Godzilla: King of the Monsters is still in theaters.