Bamboozled (2000) Spike Lee

Has anyone seen it and what do they think of it. Its interesting to say the least as it deals with really controversial stuff, but I think Spike Lee has a message, toy with the hateful past and it will consume everyone in its wake. Seriously lets get intellectual on this

I have seen it.
I was shocked by it.
At first,in the beginning,I was sure it was going to be bad.
I was sitting there thinking, "what is he trying to say".
But as I watched more of it,I was like "wow".
I truly believe this film is a masterpiece.
I think it applies even more so today, in the world where
people are trying to justify the use of the n-word and market
the most stereotypical shows.
One thing I can say about this movie that I cant say for many
other movies or even songs containing the n-word is that each and
every time the n-word was said in this movie...it hurt.
I never became used to it and it never was funny to me.
I liked that.
The pain was still there.
The most powerful moments to me were when they were chanting for
the dancers by saying "lets go n*gger" while they smeared the black paint
over their faces.
It made me cry.
It was agony to see and hear that.
It only made me wonder what the Blacks back in the day who went along
with this routine went through backstage.
Also,when they shot at the tap dancers feet in the end.
I cant remember the characters' name right now.
But that part was like "wow".
And I really broke down at the end when Spike showed all the cartoons
and movies from back in the day that featured Blacks acting in a stereotypical demeanor.
What was saddest is that many of these so-called "classics" are much loved by the American population, yet feature blatant racism.
And then the cartoons where Blacks resembled monkeys.
These flicks were for kids for goodness sake!!!
Ugh.
But overall,a very deep movie with great actors,performance,and script.

One of Spokes BEST movies.....but I'm afraid most people missed the POINT of the movie. I LOVED it.

i am a huge spike fan and i loved it, even though the ending gets a little silly. (a judge orders that the sentence be carried out on national television... what?)

black folk shucking and jiving in the modern age is also touched on in his newest film "passing strange"

check the link in my sig

i need to watch it again... thinking about it, i dont think i have seen it since it came out. i just put it at the top of my netflix

A grossly underrated and unexamined film. One of Spike's most important, if not altogether entertaining (or unflawed) works.

I think the James Baldwin quote that closed it was pitch perfect: "We pay for what we become. And we pay simply by the lives we lead." EVERYONE in that film, bar none, was a sellout in some way -- to their own professional aspirations, to money, to their ego, to their political ideologies... and EVERYONE faced harsh consequences for who/what they allowed themselves to become.

What I found particularly smart (and something for which Spike elsewhere is criticized), is that not a single one of the characters -- and, thereby, neither the groups for whom they served as archetype -- were depicted as "the good guy" or "the bad guy." Each had valuable, even enlightened, things to say about who we are as humans (and black humans, in particular), but each showed that their own approach wasn't a panacea and that if we allow those singular positions to define us, they will definitely build us, but also destroy.

The thing that I wrestle with in the film is the utter absence of someone who comes out "on top." Tommy Davidson's character (the best performance that man has ever given) was the closest thing to redeemed: In a beautiful moment, he recognized having been bamboozled, snapped out of it and literally walked away. But even he paid with the loss of a close friend for having been duped for a time. Sometimes I've thought how interesting it would have been to have had at least one character "get it right" and come out unscathed. But, then, life isn't like that, is it? We ALL pay... and I think Spike was probably wise to communicate that.

My biggest complaints were two conspicuous places where the project dropped the ball, IMO: Davidson, if his part were bigger, was headed toward a Best Supporting Actor-worthy performance, I think. He definitely deserved more camera time. And "Shadowlands," the Bruce Hornsby song that closed the film, is absolutely a masterpiece. It easily should have been submitted and promoted as a contender for the Best Original Song Oscar that year.
[Edited 9/8/09 7:25am]

cborgman said:

2elijah said:

Lammastide said:

A grossly underrated and unexamined film. One of Spike's most important, if not altogether entertaining (or unflawed) works.

I think the James Baldwin quote that closed it was pitch perfect: "We pay for what we become. And we pay simply by the lives we lead." EVERYONE in that film, bar none, was a sellout in some way -- to their own professional aspirations, to money, to their ego, to their political ideologies... and EVERYONE faced harsh consequences for who/what they allowed themselves to become.

What I found particularly smart (and something for which Spike elsewhere is criticized), is that not a single one of the characters -- and, thereby, neither the groups for whom they served as archetype -- were depicted as "the good guy" or "the bad guy." Each had valuable, even enlightened, things to say about who we are as humans (and black humans, in particular), but each showed that their own approach wasn't a panacea and that if we allow those singular positions to define us, they will definitely build us, but also destroy.

The thing that I wrestle with in the film is the utter absence of someone who comes out "on top." Tommy Davidson's character (the best performance that man has ever given) was the closest thing to redeemed: In a beautiful moment, he recognized having been bamboozled, snapped out of it and literally walked away. But even he paid with the loss of a close friend for having been duped for a time. Sometimes I've thought how interesting it would have been to have had at least one character "get it right" and come out unscathed. But, then, life isn't like that, is it? We ALL pay... and I think Spike was probably wise to communicate that.

My biggest complaints were two conspicuous places where the project dropped the ball, IMO: Davidson, if his part were bigger, was headed toward a Best Supporting Actor-worthy performance, I think. He definitely deserved more camera time. And "Shadowlands," the Bruce Hornsby song that closed the film, is absolutely a masterpiece. It easily should have been submitted and promoted as a contender for the Best Original Song Oscar that year.
[Edited 9/8/09 7:25am]

cborgman said:

Lammastide said:

A grossly underrated and unexamined film. One of Spike's most important, if not altogether entertaining (or unflawed) works.

I think the James Baldwin quote that closed it was pitch perfect: "We pay for what we become. And we pay simply by the lives we lead." EVERYONE in that film, bar none, was a sellout in some way -- to their own professional aspirations, to money, to their ego, to their political ideologies... and EVERYONE faced harsh consequences for who/what they allowed themselves to become.

What I found particularly smart (and something for which Spike elsewhere is criticized), is that not a single one of the characters -- and, thereby, neither the groups for whom they served as archetype -- were depicted as "the good guy" or "the bad guy." Each had valuable, even enlightened, things to say about who we are as humans (and black humans, in particular), but each showed that their own approach wasn't a panacea and that if we allow those singular positions to define us, they will definitely build us, but also destroy.

The thing that I wrestle with in the film is the utter absence of someone who comes out "on top." Tommy Davidson's character (the best performance that man has ever given) was the closest thing to redeemed: In a beautiful moment, he recognized having been bamboozled, snapped out of it and literally walked away. But even he paid with the loss of a close friend for having been duped for a time. Sometimes I've thought how interesting it would have been to have had at least one character "get it right" and come out unscathed. But, then, life isn't like that, is it? We ALL pay... and I think Spike was probably wise to communicate that.

My biggest complaints were two conspicuous places where the project dropped the ball, IMO: Davidson, if his part were bigger, was headed toward a Best Supporting Actor-worthy performance, I think. He definitely deserved more camera time. And "Shadowlands," the Bruce Hornsby song that closed the film, is absolutely a masterpiece. It easily should have been submitted and promoted as a contender for the Best Original Song Oscar that year.
[Edited 9/8/09 7:25am]

TonyVanDam said:

cborgman said:

i need to watch it again... thinking about it, i dont think i have seen it since it came out. i just put it at the top of my netflix

You can watch it on YT.

Its a great film, just done a little too cheaply to make a real mainstream crossover IMO.

TonyVanDam said:

cborgman said:

i need to watch it again... thinking about it, i dont think i have seen it since it came out. i just put it at the top of my netflix

You can watch it on YT.

possibly my favorite Spike flick. not surprisingly, this film was out of theatres (in philly, at least) one week after release. no other movie has ever made me question the way i see media representations of the races and how i react to it.

i spent the first 45 minutes of the film laughing and the remainder questioning why i thought those 45 minutes made me laugh. awesome movie!

Graycap23 said:

Lammastide said:

TonyVanDam said:

You can watch it on YT.

So THAT'S why Spike hates "YT!"

TonyVanDam said:

Lammastide said:

So THAT'S why Spike hates "YT!"

For Spike, Bamboozled is the biggest selling DVD in his career. Seeing YT as a negative is pointless.

Lammastide said:

TonyVanDam said:

For Spike, Bamboozled is the biggest selling DVD in his career. Seeing YT as a negative is pointless.

You didn't get my joke.

I miss the sarcasm. Sorry.

XNY said:

Graycap23 said:

Love is just like the faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it's on baby
It has turned off and gone


Lady Day

repost
[Edited 9/9/09 20:59pm]

Love is just like the faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it's on baby
It has turned off and gone


Lady Day

Harlepolis said:

God DAMN there are a lot of dumb motherfuckers walking around! - George Carlin
Stalkerwomen of the world unite in delusion!!!!!

Vendetta1 said:

Harlepolis said:

They don't have to anymore....

All they gotta do is turn on VH-1, BET or Tyler Perry's movies and they'll get the message LOUD & CLEAR.

One of Mr.Lee's prophecy that folks dismissed as "paranoia" back then.

You got me stalkin' your ass now.

Love is just like the faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it's on baby
It has turned off and gone


Lady Day

Harlepolis said:

cborgman said:

Love is just like the faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it's on baby
It has turned off and gone


Lady Day

cborgman said:

TonyVanDam said:

cborgman said:

i will never understand how perry has managed to become so successful. the only sense i can make of it is when you are so starved for representation, even shit like his is better than nothing.

Tyler Perry's alter-ego Madea is THE reason why he is successful.

@ Harlepolis..... In your opinion, how exactly is the character Madea a bamboozled-like tactic?!? I only see her as a misbehaving character.

Love is just like the faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it's on baby
It has turned off and gone


Lady Day

Harlepolis said:

TonyVanDam said:

Love is just like the faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it's on baby
It has turned off and gone


Lady Day