Jes Grew On The Big Screen in 2025
At the tailend of Mumbo Jumbo, Papa LaBas says that Jes Grew “has no end and no beginning,” (Reed, 204). In this monologue, Reeds seems to be pushing a theory on how Black creativity will stand the test of time because of its ability to reinvent itself over generations. Today, that seems to reflect in many parts of society, but what I want to focus on is cinema. The space for independent films, spearheaded by directors like Spike Lee, Ramon Menendez, and Jordan Peele resembles the idea of Jes Grew. In films like Do The Right Thing and Stand and Deliver, these filmmakers embrace Reed’s idea of an unsatiated cultural force, while in a sense, taking control of who gets to tell stories that are celebrated in America.
I find the best parallel to Jes Grew is Spike Lee. He has made films like Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, and BlacKkKlansman, uses color, music, political beliefs/ideologies, and chaos to create a plotline that consistently pushes against the Atonist constraints and rules. Lee’s films permeated through society using energy, a sense of being alive, and portraying novel ideas, which growing minorities embraced and supported. The influence this gave Spike Lee in Hollywood started a growing movement of challenging traditional Hollywood roles and stories. Many of these films create places for people to express their feelings, thoughts, and beliefs, without having to conform to Atonist standards.
However, I am not saying that the movie industry is all sunshine and rainbows. Atonism still is blatantly apparent in the high barrier of entry to Hollywood, using the idea of diversity and rags to riches stories of a select few as proof to society that the movie business is full of equality and fairness. In reality there are many issues surrounding equality which are still ongoing, and will be for a while. However, “Jes Grew” is still able to thrive, with the rise of other modes of film production, like streaming platforms and international film festivals helping pave the way for upcoming directors from all walks of life to bypass the standards set over the last century by cinema, and create something which could revolutionize one’s outlook on certain issues/cultures/societal norms.
Works Cited
Reed, Ishmael. Mumbo Jumbo. Scribner, 1972.
I see Do The Right Thing, I click. Being able to apply Leff class to Mitchell class (and vice versa) is the best feeling in the world. I really like how you've applied the philosophies of Jes' Grew and Atonism to the real world, and I guess I just wish the George Hamilton Mumbo Jumbo film actually came to pass. I think (I've only seen two movies by him sadly) Lee is also really good at creating complex plotlines and moral ambiguity. He's also created a detective/heist film called Inside Man, which uses non-linear flashforwards and blends conspiracy into a thrilling and unpredictable narrative, a little like Mumbo Jumbo, but I would say that this is approximately where the similarities between Inside Man and Mumbo Jumbo end.
ReplyDeleteHi Sri, I really liked the connection you made with Spike Lee's film "Do the Right thing" and Jes Grew. I think it is interesting because "Do the Right Thing" is actively commenting on the social, racial and economic barriers of its location and time, while Jes Grew is less of an outsider observer but more of a participant inside the culture. I like how you mention that "Do the Right Thing" doesn't conform to "Atonist standards" - I'm reminded of the scenes where Lee zooms in/out on scenes and jumps from character to character, breaking the usual "Atonist" norm.
ReplyDeleteHi Sri, I definitely agree the Spike Lee's film "Do the Right Thing" has a basis from Jes Grew. Although something worth considering is that "Do the Right Thing" is trying to complicate the message on racial hate rather than just focusing on black pride. The idea of indie films being a product of something just erupting out of nowhere feeds into the notion of them being Jes Grew. Generally though, I would see traditional movies made from large studios as an appropriation of the creative liberties that indie films have.
ReplyDeleteHey Sri! Cool idea. Jes Grew, when it was popular in the 20s-ish was spread a lot differently that how it is today. In and of itself, it also looked different. Jazz and dance were two very popular ways of expressing it in the 20's but now, as it has evolved, has spread throughout the world, for all different kinds of people and culture. What do you think Jes Grew was like in cinema 100 years ago? What kinds of messages were spread? My first thought is that the Atonists probably used it to spread their ideas, but I'd be interested in seeing WHEN that change took place, and why. Overall great job!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a further account of Jordan Peele's work as a kind of Jes Grew dynamic--in particular _Out_ is interesting because it begins as if it were one kind of movie (a social satire, where the jokes are on the well-meaning white liberals) and then suddenly becomes a much different kind of movie (where that same white-liberal awkwardness becomes MUCH darker and more ominous, in ways I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it yet). Spike Lee is of course a great example of cinematic Jes Grew, especially in his earlier works, when he is first making inroads into a film industry that previously had marginalized Black directors and creators (see the Blaxploitation era, which was hugely influential on Spike Lee). Lee is not just telling new kinds of stories with a focus on "diverse" characters (although he is doing that)--a film like _Do the Right Thing_ just *looked* and *felt* and *sounded* so different from any movie that had come before, and Lee does a number of "metafictional" moves--having characters speak directly to the camera, for instance. The movie has a distinctive color palette and visual style, where the camera moves in a way that calls attention to its own constructedness, while also depicting "realistically" a picture of racial tensions in a specific Brooklyn community. With Public Enemy's soundtrack, right at the BRINK of hip-hop becoming hugely popular but not quite there yet, this movie really did seem to burst onto the scene out of nowhere, looking and sounding like something completely new. Maybe an example of the kind of "future Text" that Reed refers to at the close of _Mumbo Jumbo_?
ReplyDeleteEdit: _Get Out_ (2017) is the movie I'm referring to, of course. It's not just called _Out_. I'm typing too fast and not looking back!
ReplyDeleteHi Sri, your connection between "Do the Right Thing" and Jes Grew is really interesting. I especially think that characters like Radio Raheem and Buggin Out really illustrate Jes Grew, as they are constantly spreading messages of Black power and culture, even in places (like Sal's restaurant) where they are not accepted. I do think it's interesting that in "Do the Right Thing," Spike Lee tries to portray multiple sides of a larger racial conflict, rather than just spreading Black culture. But, I still agree that there is a great connection between the two!
ReplyDeleteHi Sri! This is a really good blog post, I especially liked your connection between Jes Grew and the evolution of independent cinema. Your points about film being used as a medium that resists Atonist control is something that I hadn’t thought of before. I wonder, though, if streaming platforms continue Jew Grew’s expansion by including more marginalized creators, or if they risk becoming another form of Atonism by monetizing that same unique energy. Overall, great job!
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