'Cold Mountain' Freezes Out Black History

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: 'Cold Mountain' Freezes Out Black History

I would have liked to have seen more USCT in the Cater scene, but I was more ticked off by the Weimar period German Pack that the main caracter carried after his encounter with the "Goat lady".

[Dale Beasley]

Re: 'Cold Mountain' Freezes Out Black History

Folks,
My Pard, Dennis Neal (16th LA VOL INF) once told a group of kids to whom he was speaking on the Civil War........."Dont harp on somthing that happen in this country 140 years ago....you cant do anything about it now......Go to a continent where slavery is still in bussiness and do something about it.......and that continent being Africa".


"Don't let the little crap, get in the way of the "Big Shit" - James Carville

[Yulie]

Re: 'Cold Mountain' Freezes Out Black History

The Cold Mountain boycott was discussed on another forum and I offer those thoughts here.

Folks,

Cold Mountain is just a movie, but it’s part of a long list of issues with Miramax and Walt Disney. Because of the movie’s historical era it has brought the Civil War history community into the mixture of issues that several folks (ethnic and religious) have had with these film companies and the film industry as a whole.

Erick Todd Dellums' "issue" regarding Miramax's Cold Mountain is part of an ongoing issue regarding depictions (minor or major) of minorities and historical issues/references involving minorities in films by the entertainment industry. It’s right up there with Native-American community’s issues with the cartoon-movie Pocahontas. Dellums is one of numerous activist actors who monitors and comments on these issues. Miramax (whose parent company is the Walt Disney Company) also received wide protest from WWII vets and the black community regarding Buffalo Soldiers which was released in the US during last summer (2003) because a) the title is associated with the nickname given to post-CW American soldiers of African ancestry b) the theme of the movie flagrantly depicted the Second World War armed forces; and c) attempts to make a mass-distributed movie regarding these post-CW soldiers, entitled Buffalo Soldiers, has constantly been defeated. I don’t recall that boycott being discussed on this forum as it is not applicable to our interest here: Civil War history. It was, however, discussed on other forums.

Cold Mountain is just a chunk of a huge iceberg that tears into the minority performing arts and historical communities who seek equity. Boycotts of this nature and regarding these issues have been an ongoing endeavor. Keep in mind that Glory and Amsted received protest and boycotts for numerous reasons. Thus, indicating that popular movies are not without controversy.

Part of the other forum’s discussion asked why don’t black folks make their own movies based on the nineteenth century. It was somewhat touched on in this forum.

Response: Attempts have been made and are trying to be made to make their own movie -- case in point is the movie about 9th & 10th Cavalry and 24th & 25th Infantry* (not the TNT Buffalo Soldiers). Dellums alludes to his own attempts at making movies in his letter to the editor. Even Oprah -- with all her mega-bucks and mega-status -- faced overwhelming obstacles with Beloved. The money it takes to do the Hollywood-thing is enormous. Plus there is always that issue of marketability: how many people would be willing to spend $8.50 to see an accurate depiction of slavery or the fodder-tactics used on the USCTs when they can stay at home and watch a PBS documentary/docudrama for FREE (well almost free)? Even Beloved's true theme (the post-Civil War era having to deal with infanticide during enslavement) was transfigured and buried into a sub-theme because of the marketability issue. I personally am aware of several film projects focusing on African American history that have fizzled and died due to funding and marketability to a fickled public.

Good, Bad or Otherwise (hummm seems like a good title for the next CW flick), the motion picture and entertainment industry has the ability to reach the masses, therefore its being treated –- right or wrong -- as a tool to help educate the general public about historical issues. It's the same with amusements parks (with their history themed areas) vs historical sites who refuse to "go Disney." As the unsuspecting general public is subject to thinking that movies are accurate when it comes to historical issues/details -- whether it be civilian clothing or military uniforms, weaponry or military tactics, the political environment or social issues, etc. -- the motion picture industry should be more responsible. If not, why all the debate and discussion?? I think that the performing acts community is asking that a better job is done and efforts should be made toward being more inclusive with the factual details -- which is the issue discussed by black historians who interpret the Civil War. . . . Dare I say for all Civil War reenactors/living historians?

*NOTE: Collectively called the "Buffalo Soldiers" even though they were known as Black Regulars, Horse Soldiers and various racial epithets. Read The Black Regulars 1866-1898 by William Dobak and Thomas D. Phillip).

[flattop32355]

Re: 'Cold Mountain' Freezes Out Black History

And in reality, isn't the Holocaust, which occurred a mere two generations or so ago, emotionally "rawer" than slavery?"

It might depend upon to whom you are talking;for Jewish, German, or Polish Americans, and those who knew people directly affected, it may well be of much greater immediacy. But you have to remember that the Holocaust happened "over there", whereas slavery as we tend to think of it happened here, on our own soil, and the ramifications of that system still are yet to be completely played out.

Everyone can find an ax to grind about anything, including myself: I think you could take all the positive examples of adult white male characters on TV, toss them into a small thimble, and still have room to cram a large jelly donut in there without spillage. All such media have a focal point in their program that they adhere to, and all else is considered just "filling out the story". My guess is that "Cold Mountain" did it to no more or less a degree than most. So, in effect, we can all find something to complain about in it.