The fact that the quality of original films and series from streaming services is no longer inferior to major cinematic blockbusters has been proven by Netflix for a few years now. Even competing for prestigious film awards such as the Oscars and the Golden Globes is no longer unthinkable for anyone. And especially in this past corona year, the audience has increasingly leaned towards streaming services. It’s no wonder that platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are often mentioned among this year’s Oscar nominees. For Netflix, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom could be a major contender for the prestigious film award.
Music films have been performing well in recent years. What started with jazz-related films like Whiplash and La La Land has evolved into movies based on the lives of popular artists such as Queen and Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and Elton John in Rocketman. Combine these two types of music films, and you get Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
The film revolves around the popular blues singer Ma Rainey in the 1920s. She and her quartet are tasked by the record producer in Chicago to record an album, which takes longer than agreed upon. Due to Ma Rainey’s strong personality and her ambitious trumpeter Levee, the studio session for the song ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom‘ doesn’t really get going. Tensions rise to an ultimate climax (or low point).
Apart from the opening scene, the entire film is set during one studio session. This is a brief period to establish and tell a good story. The screenwriters of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom manage to deliver a one-and-a-half-hour studio session with surprising twists. The pace of the film takes its time. The story is good, but the script could have been shorter, with many repetitions and some unnecessary text.
The acting skills of Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman
Is it then an hour and a half of waiting until the climax? No, absolutely not. That this Netflix Original is in the running for awards is not very surprising with a cast including Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. Davis takes on the title role of Ma Rainey. She portrays the ultimate diva who demands what she wants and settles for nothing less. Her co-star, Boseman, plays the ambitious Levee, a trumpeter. He wants to use Ma Rainey’s quartet as a stepping stone to become famous himself.
Boseman became widely known to the general public for his leading role in Marvel’s Black Panther, but in this film, he shows that he shouldn’t only be seen in major blockbusters. His acting skills are the highlights of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Especially during an emotional monologue about a trauma Levee experienced in his youth, Boseman demonstrates that he can be compared to great actors. It’s a significant loss for the film industry that Chadwick Boseman passed away in 2020 after a long battle with cancer.
The performances of Boseman and Davis have truly elevated the somewhat slow-paced film. Both have earned nominations for Best Actor/Actress in a Leading Role at the upcoming Oscars on April 25. Considering the Golden Globes ceremony, it seems likely that Chadwick Boseman might posthumously win his nomination. Regarding this film, it’s well-deserved. Whether Viola Davis will also win is a bit more suspenseful, as several of her fellow nominees stand a good chance. We’ll see on April 25 during the Oscars ceremony. Until then, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is definitely a good film to get into the mood and enjoy fantastic acting.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Netflix
Tensions and temperatures rise at a Chicago music studio in 1927 when fiery, fearless blues singer Ma Rainey joins her band for a recording session.
Cast: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, and others.
Director: George C. Wolfe
Studio: Netflix
