The Controversy Of Afro-American Cinema

The emergence of the Afro American cinema consequently leans on the controversy of Griffith’s movie. The Afro American filmmakers want to create their own studios, they want to be independent from Hollywood. “On one hand, they felt the need to screen a positive image of the Black Man, an image damaged by the stereotypes from the early movies. On the other hand, they want to touch and satisfy the Black public, an abandoned public”. (Crari, 2011, p55). The Lincoln Motion Picture Company tends to gather this two majors points of the Afro American cinema. Created in 1915 in Los Angeles by George P. Johnson and by his brother Noble P. Johnson, The Lincoln Motion Picture has for ambition to produce movies realized by Blacks, for Blacks and with Blacks.

Most of Lincoln Motion Company’s movies exposed a brave and ambitious Black man. Their second film Trooper of Troop K (1916), related a heroic Black soldier who saved his captain. This company between 1916 and 1921 produced not less than 7 movies. Movies, where the Johnson brothers wanted the audience to recognize Black people accomplishments. Black people needed to see Black heroes. “As major motion picture studios were elevating white manhood by contrasting it with an inferior, animalistic, slothful black man, African-American men were delivering the cinematic equivalent of an ebony hero, an African-American man who worked, was educated, took care of his wife and children, and worked for the betterment of society”. (Butters, 2002, p121). It is exactly what John W. Noble wanted to depict in his movie The Birth of a Race (1918) a response of the Griffith’s film. Anne Crémieux asserts that this movie is often considered as the most important “races movies”. But commercially, this movie was a failure and it was very badly received by the criticisms. These ones accused the movie of being too long and of not facing the problems lifted by Griffith (Crémieux, 2004,

Oscar Micheaux is “one of the most prolific filmmakers of his time” and many historians consider he is “the father of black filmmakers”. His movies marked an era of the representation of the Black people. Within 20 years, he produced and directed more than 40 movies. His specialty was to talk about taboo subjects at that time such as: “passing, lynching, religion, criminal behavior or interracial marriage” . Within our gates (1920), Body and Soul (1925), God’s Step Children (1938) are his more successful movies. He involved political message, tolerance and provocative message in a segregationist America in his movies. These themes were inaccessible in Hollywood, which started an interest of the Black public. (Crémieux, 2004,