Sunday, December 20, 2020

What you should know about Ma Rainey before watching 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'

Right now, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is the movie to watch with folks predicting Oscar nods for Viola Davis as legendary blues singer Ma Rainey and Chadwick Boseman in his final role as a member of her band in conflict with her and the reality of his life as opposed to his dreams and aspirations. 

It's a brutal and haunting movie, slightly altered from the original stage play by August Wilson. There's so much to pull out of this movie from racial inequalities, the rights of artists versus greedy record producers and even a bit about being an LGBTQ in America. Ma Rainey was openly bisexual and neither the play nor movie shied away from that fact.

But the video above tells you all you need to know. Watch it before seeing the movie.