Review: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Source: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020) - IMDb

I've finally made myself section off some time to watch this film - no more getting distracted over something else... Especially as we're now into April and the OSCARS (and thus end of this year's belated award season) is right around the corner!

One of the biggest contenders this year is for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, the much loved play by August Wilson brought to the screen by director George C Wolfe. 

Set in 1927 Chicago, blues singer Ma Rainey joins her band for a recording session - and sparks start to fly!

As with all his plays, what August Wilson explores is the African-American experience at the time, particularly touching on tensions between black artists and white producers - something that is touched on in Dreamgirls, but goes full throttle here. 

As Ma says herself: 

"They don't care nothing about me. All they want is my voice. Well, I learned that. And they going to me the way I want to be treated no matter how much it hurt them"

This film has been picking up award nominations left and right, including 3 from the Screen Actors guild, 3 from BAFTA, 2 from the Golden Globes - and 5 from the Academy, including Best Actor and Actress for its two leads: Viola Davis, and the late Chadwick Boseman, to whom the film is dedicated to. 

If this film has become known for any other reason, it is because this was sadly the last performance from Boseman before his death last year - and what a performance to go out on! Trumpeter Levee is brash, hopeful for what this recording can bring him, and very impatient, which is what leads to his downfall. The clash between him and Ma's pure survival instincts is what really makes the plot crackle. Whether Boseman knew it would be his last performance, we will never know; but he put his heart and soul into it.  

Ma herself is played by Viola Davis - one of my favourite actresses ever since saw The Help (brilliant film if you haven't seen it yet!). She is no stranger to August Wilson's work, having won both a Tony and an OSCAR for the stage and screen versions of Fences. The reason why she's one of my favourites is that whatever she is given, she fully transforms into the role. And Ma Rainey is no exception. She's strong, proud, ensured that you gave her respect - but also increasingly vulnerable as she knows that it is near the end of her career, threatened by newer artists like Bessie Smith. 

This has definitely made me want to check out more of August Wilson's work - it didn't make me particularly laugh or cry as such, but it has made me think. Your reaction may be different to mine, but that's perfectly ok. 

There's also a 30-ish minute documentary that Netflix will lead you to after watching the film providing you with some more historical context from the cast and creative teams - would highly recommend giving that a watch too. 

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is available on Netflix - if you are a fan of blues or jazz music, are familiar with August Wilson's work, or want to watch two incredible actors give it their all, this could well be for you. 

Also, you need to check this out if you have been a fan of Chadwick Boseman's work. What a performance. Rest in peace and power man. 

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