Why is this generation of black filmmakers scared of the bio pic?

By Geek Swagg

Watching J.Edgar, the biographical movie based on the historically flawed, innovative head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, it puzzles me why the african american filmmakers of today ignore their rich history.
The J. Edgar Hoover bio pic displayed the complicated nature of the man who some say was the "most powerful man in America."



Comparing this movie to the always exciting Spike Lee saga, Malcolm X. A movie that took the audience on a journey of a man who went from a hooligan to a civil rights leader, assasinated by his own group of Muslims that made him. Malcolm's life will always be cemented by Denzel Washington's brilliant portrayal of the man. Malcolm was complicated and confusing early in his life, yet Spike Lee was able to bring all of that to the big screen.

Tyler Perry has made his road well paved with gold. His movies which are faith based and comedic are making history. At the same time, the challenge for Mr. Perry and this generation of african-american film makers it to create a movie that will withstand the test of time.

A movie that will transcend the sewer of forgettable movies spanning from A.T.L., to Madea's Family Renunion,

black filmmakers have yet to make a movie that returns our true history to the silver screen. I'm not talking about the fictional historical movies, Dreamgirls and Sparkle, but instead Rosewood.

African american history is American history. Its made up of the most enriching and fanstatic stories. Why are we ashamed when a movie like "The Help" is made and then complain about Tyler Perry's comedic masterpieces of drag.

For most African American children of United States, the section of the textbook of Black history ranges from thin to non-existent. Hopefully Black thespians, producers, and directors will begin to make the transistion to go beyond the norm of sub-par excellence that we consider to be the "Black Cinema" of today and recognize that if we don't record our history on film, its likely to die off like our ancestors of the middle passage.
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