"‘Native Son’ Review: A Strikingly Bold...." Topic

…., Uneven Adaptation | Sundance 2019.

"When Richard Wright's novel Native Son was published in 1940, it was understandably met with a mix of acclaim and controversy. The book aims to not only chronicle the African-American experience, but how America at large shapes and dictates the lives of African-Americans living in it—it touched on a sense of stark inevitability for many at the time. Updating the book for the 21st century is an ambitious if admirable task, and while director Rashid Johnson in his feature debut shows tremendous talent and promise behind the camera, and the lead performance by Ashton Sanders is downright stunning, the film's strict adherence to the book's shocking twists and turns result in a frustratingly uneven and incongruous experience.

Johnson's adaptation of Native Son, written by Suzan-Lori Parks, updates the story to a present day setting in Chicago. Bigger "Big" Thomas (Sanders) is the oldest child of an impoverished single mother (Sanaa Lathan) and delights in his own sense of anarchy. Big doesn't listen to Nas or Kanye West, and instead fancies himself a fan of straight punk music (he loves Bad Brains) and classical compositions by legends like Beethoven. He has green hair, paints his nails black, and wears a striking leather jacket with writing all over it. But while Big clearly enjoys being the "wildcard," he still cares about being successful and mostly staying out of trouble. When his friend tries to convince him to rob a convenience store, he repeatedly rebuffs him, insisting he's not really about that…."
Main page
collider.com/native-son-review

Amicalement
Armand

Had to read the book for a Humanities class.

Once was enough.

Glup!….

Amicalement
Armand