Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Expressions of Black liberation have taken many forms over the years. Stories about slave rebellions and civil rights struggles offer a picture of the extents of Black people’s efforts to be free in this country. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is best understood as in conversation with those works. It represents the other end of the spectrum, where Black people endeavor to exist peaceably in a system of white supremacy. The very real toll this existence takes on the characters in the film are the play within the play. The staging of August Wilson’s words are ostensibly about a legendary blues singer, but in reality, they are about everything Black people do to stay sane in an insane world.
When we are introduced to Ma Rainey (played by Viola Davis), she is shown on the road drawing large crowds as a Blues headliner and all-around legend. The rest of the film centers around Ma recording a record with her band, which is filled with characters and is the heart of the film. The principal character in this bunch is Levee Green (played by the late Chadwick Boseman, a young, mercurial trumpet player who vacillates between artistic braggadocio and righteous indignation.
The rest of the band of older players engage Levee in a series of vignettes that evoke tales of emotional trauma associated with the lives of Black people. The conversations among the band members serve as the context for what they and Ma Rainey are going through on the surface level. Though they are all talented, that talent is being leveraged for the economic gain of others. Ma’s response is to protest wherever possible—making life difficult for her white employers and manager by making unreasonable demands wherever possible.
The strength of the film is in how it captures the inescapability of the racial power struggle. There is nothing these characters can do besides try to get by—and that results in moments of propulsive anger at one another, which is often punctuated by moments of dignified resignation.
The embodiment of these wild swings is encapsulated by the best performance of Chadwick Boseman’s career. Throughout history, Black people have existed in a sort of permanent mourning posture—sorrow over life’s shortcomings and determination to make the best of their futures. He straddles these lines and revels in the complexities of Black life. It is a weighty reminder of just how talented he was and a capstone to a tragically short career.
At this point, Viola Davis doing great work is to be expected. The entire cast really shines and seems to genuinely take pride in bringing forth the words of the most accomplished Black playwright of all time. Stage adaptations are always tough and its possible you could walk away feeling like there is not enough of a story here, but if you pay attention, the story is between the lines. In many ways, it has already happened, and the play is just the audience’s chance to think about it.
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