One person can make a difference.
There's a scene in this film, after Fred Hampton gets out of jail, when he's speaking about revolution and it's so powerful, you feel it in your living room, watching on the flat screen.
Ironically, the biggest revolutionary talk these days comes from the other side of the racial/political spectrum, the right wing whites. They were pissed off then, back in '69, they're even more pissed off now. Electing a black president was just too much for them.
Despite the media campaign, there is no buzz on this movie. Maybe because it's on HBO Max, maybe because newspapers, traditional hype, just doesn't move the needle these days. You need to hear it from a trusted friend. And not a single friend has e-mailed me about "Judas and the Black Messiah." Then again, how many people have HBO Max? How many people have HBO subscriptions and don't realize they get access to HBO Max for free?
Toby Emmerich was right. Warner Brothers pictures have to stream. You can say he made a mistake by not asking permission, but twenty five years of tech have taught us that if you ask permission, you get bogged down in discussions and change never happens. We saw this in the music business. All the change ended up coming from outside the industry, because the labels refused to sacrifice the CD, with its premium price. Steve Jobs sold files, and then Daniel Ek streamed tracks, and without those two recorded music revenues would be zippo today. But those who profited under the old paradigm still believe we can jet back to the past and they can make all that money they used to. Kind of like the white people fantasizing about a return to a prior era that wasn't so good to begin with.
But Emmerich's move was hampered by the AT&T brass, who don't understand economics. AT&T is trying to satiate its legacy customers, in this case cable and satellite systems. But does Best Buy still sell music? Gradual change never works in today's marketplace. Apple TV+ has greater mindshare than HBO Max, even though it's got a fraction of the content. Because of it being an arm of Apple, never underestimate a brand halo, and it's $4.99 a month, and most people get it for free. HBO Max costs three times as much, and didn't Spotify and a zillion websites teach us that you give it away for free and after people become hooked you charge? Yes, Daniel Ek has said again and again that he's not getting rid of Spotify's free tier, because it's a gateway to subscription. You monetize after people get hooked.
So, nobody's watching "Judas and the Black Messiah," and everybody should.
But it's a flawed film. What you want to see is the Fred Hampton story, but half of the movie is the story of an FBI informant and the truth is this all happened over fifty years ago, and even if you lived through the era you're hazy on the details. During Black History month, less than a year after the Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd, these actions are seen as equivalent to 1/6 by right wing whites. As if any and all protest is equal. Blacks have been fighting for equal rights for hundreds of years. But a black man became president and then these whites decided it was necessary to overthrow the government. And if the Democrats don't get rid of the filibuster, the next president will be a Republican, because of the diminution of voter rights. But, D.C. is afraid of throwing the long ball, of getting ahead of the issue as opposed to always being behind, passing a national voting rights act to supersede the shenanigans of these state governments.
So, Fred Hampton believes in people power. He brings different factions, of different colors, together and progress is so clear that the FBI and Mayor Daley's police must take him off the playing field.
Now back in the sixties the perception of the Black Panthers was that they were scary. But with hindsight we can see in many ways they had it right. Fred Hampton was about providing meals for kids and today welfare is hobbled because if you give anybody a dollar it's seen as a heinous handout as opposed to a lift into a better life. Even worse, what if people do get a better life, won't the whites lose out? That's what they think.
The scuttlebutt for the last few days has been about Ted Cruz, as if by ganging up on him he'll lose his senate seat. But the joke is on the left and the media, the right is rock solid, these people believe democrats will get rid of democracy and that they must fight with all their might for a delusional dictatorship, one party rule to protect freedom. But a black person is not free to complain. Any person of color. The most hated person in D.C. is AOC. Because she's a woman and she has a voice and she's sick of the old-boy network where nothing gets done. Push the envelope and you're always a target, you need to shut up and get in line.
But that was not the ethos in the sixties. In the sixties you were supposed to think for yourself and let your freak flag fly. Everybody under thirty was a democrat, truly, most of them. But time and greed have brought people back to the right.
Now one thing that bothers me insanely is all this b.s. of "Thank you for your service." I was taught to hate cops, they were the pigs, and if you watch "Judas and the Messiah" you'll know why. Today police departments are still bad and many in the force are aligned with the white supremacist movement, even showing up in person on 1/6. Fred Hampton got shot, but Donald Trump skates without consequence. Did you see the poll in today's "USA Today"? 46% of Republicans would jump ship from their party to join Trump in a new one: bit.ly/3pIQfGl Everybody keeps saying Trump has learned his lesson, but he's only been further empowered.
As for service thanks... How about questioning those who sent soldiers into harm's way. Cheney and Kissinger skate while the enlisted get PTSD and are forgotten except for occasional kudos.
Yes, seems like in fifty years everything's gone topsy-turvy.
People need to be reminded of how it used to be, they need to be inspired, and "Judas and the Black Messiah" will light a fire in their belly.
Daniel Kaluuya is phenomenal as Fred Hampton, Oscar-worthy.
And the supporting cast is excellent.
And there's even a final credit number by H.E.R. featuring horn flourishes reminiscent of the era that would help drive viewership in a bygone era, but that paradigm is dead, "Fight For You" doesn't even have two million streams on Spotify, which is essentially nothing, in mindshare or money. But if you listen to "Fight For You" you will be inspired, that's music power, too often sacrificed in today's downbeat, defeated world. Today it's either hedonism or complaints. But people can't be called to action by pessimistic negativity.
Once again, "Judas and the Black Messiah" doesn't hang together perfectly as a film. We need a Netflix series on the Black Panthers, ten episodes to teach today's younger generation, as well as their elders, exactly what happened in the sixties, but now the focus is on the misdeeds of Woody Allen, because when it comes to politics, we feel powerless.
"Judas and the Black Messiah" takes you back. It opens a window to the past. To a vibrant era where everything was at stake and you felt you could make a difference.
Like Fred Hampton.
"Fight For You":
Spotify: spoti.fi/2NReEMv
YouTube: bit.ly/3pGA6kE
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