Wednesday, September 15, 2010

FINALLY, HE SPEAKS TO ME - Thoughts on "For Colored Girls" Trailer




The Broadway production poster of For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf was in my aunt’s home when I was a kid. The image makes me think of her but more importantly, I have always considered the poster the illustration of what it means to be an African American Woman. Strong. Powerful. Bold. I have memories of seeing parts of TV Movie when I was barely four years old and I also read the book in college but I have never seen the play. Bits and pieces form my memory of Ntozake Shange’s play but I’ve always held the play very close to me and seen it as one of the very few pieces of art that Black Women could consider their own. So as you can imagine, when I heard that Tyler Perry was directing and writing I got nervous. And a little offended. This was not a piece of work that you can write in 3 days and then shoot in 4. This is not a movie you can throw towards a movie theater in hopes of a big opening weekend. For Colored Girl’s needed to be treated with care and praise. The thousands of black women who carried the same memory of the work like I did needed to be considered.

Today the trailer was released and I have to say, finally I feel like Tyler Perry is speaking to me. Even though I am a black female with spirituality, I never related to his characters or films. They felt just as foreign to my experience as The Royal Tenenbaums. The trailer presents an experience that I can possibly relate to. The story of various black women and their relationships in America. Of course the jury is still out but off of this trailer, I am going to this film and I am getting a group of women to go with me on opening weekend. I'm intrigued and a proud supporter. 

Check out the trailer below: 



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