Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (film)

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a 2020 American drama film directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, based on the play of the same name by August Wilson. The film, and its source play, focus on Ma Rainey, an influential blues singer, and dramatizes a turbulent recording session in 1920s Chicago.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Official release poster
Directed byGeorge C. Wolfe
Produced by
Screenplay byRuben Santiago-Hudson
Based onMa Rainey's Black Bottom
by August Wilson
Starring
Music byBranford Marsalis
CinematographyTobias A. Schliessler
Edited byAndrew Mondshein
Production
company
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • November 25, 2020 (2020-11-25) (United States)
Running time
94 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20–22.5 million[2][3]

Produced by Denzel Washington, Todd Black, and Dany Wolf, the film stars Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, with Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, and Michael Potts in supporting roles. The project was originally announced alongside Washington's Fences in 2013 as part of his ten-picture deal with HBO. The adaptation eventually moved to Netflix, and filming commenced in Pittsburgh in 2019. Boseman died during post-production in August 2020, making Black Bottom his final film appearance; the film is dedicated to his memory.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom began a limited theatrical release on November 25, 2020, before beginning to stream on Netflix on December 18. The film was acclaimed by critics, who lauded the performances of Davis and Boseman, as well as the costumes and production values. It was named as one of the ten best films of 2020 by the American Film Institute.[4] The film received nine NAACP Image Award nominations, including Outstanding Motion Picture,[5] eight Critics' Choice Movie Award nominations, three 27th Screen Actors Guild Award nominations,[6] while Davis and Boseman both received nominations for their performances at the Golden Globes.

Plot

In 1927, Ma Rainey is a highly regarded blues singer who has recently been contracted by white producers. A recording session for songs by Ma is scheduled by her manager Irvin to take place at Paramount recording studios in Chicago. Seasoned Georgia Jazz Band members Toledo, Cutler, and Slow Drag arrive on time without Ma, frustrating her producer Mel Sturdyvant. They are soon joined by Levee Green, the band's overconfident trumpeter who has shown Sturdyvant his original compositions in the hopes of breaking away from Ma and getting his own record deal. The rest of the band disapproves of this.

Ma arrives an hour late with her girlfriend Dussie Mae and her nephew Sylvester. Ma immediately forces Sturdyvant to have the opening words of the album be spoken by Sylvester, who has a blocking stutter. As a result, the group has to do multiple takes of the song “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom," much to the band's frustration.

Ma interrupts the session after Irvin fails to bring her Coca-Cola, forcing Slow Drag and Sylvester to get her one. Ma complains to Cutler that her white bosses do not care for her as a person in part because of her race, and he agrees; she tells him that she does not want to be bossed around for her own art and should be allowed to do what she pleases. Meanwhile, Levee and Dussie Mae have sex in the practice room.

The group finally manages to go through a full session, but discover an equipment failure has caused it to not be recorded. The band blames Levee, who they think tripped over a wire while eyeing Dussie. Their argument leads to the religious Cutler talking about how a preacher he once knew was forced to dance for some white men and tear up his Bible while waiting for his train. Levee brushes off the story, saying that if there was a God, he would care for black people, which he never has. Cutler attacks Levee in anger, leading Levee to briefly brandish a knife in retaliation.

The group finally finishes recording, but Ma fires Levee soon afterwards, believing his ambition to be detrimental to the band. Levee then meets with Sturdyvant about his original songs, but discovers that he will only purchase the songs, believing them to not be suited for a black singer. Levee suffers a mental breakdown, and after Toledo accidentally steps on his new shoes, Levee fatally stabs him in the back with the knife. Cutler and Slow Drag leave in horror as a regretful Levee cradles Toledo's corpse. Later, Sturdyvant records Levee's songs with a band consisting entirely of white men.

Cast

Production

Denzel Washington initially had a deal with the television network HBO to produce nine of the playwright August Wilson's plays into films, with Ma Rainey's Black Bottom among them.[7] By June 2019, the deal had been moved to Netflix. Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, and Michael Potts had been cast in the film, with George C. Wolfe set to direct.[8] In July 2019, Taylour Paige, Jonny Coyne, Jeremy Shamos, and Dusan Brown joined the cast of the film.[9] Maxayn Lewis did most of Rainey's singing for Davis.[10]

Filming commenced on July 8, 2019 in Pittsburgh, with sets converted into 1927 Chicago, and wrapped on August 16, 2019.[11]

On August 28, 2020, Boseman died of colon cancer during post-production, making Ma Rainey's Black Bottom his final film appearance. The film is dedicated to him.[12][13][14]

Release

The film was theatrically released in select theaters on November 25, 2020,[12] before beginning to stream on December 18, on Netflix.[15] Netflix also released a 31-minute making-of documentary Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: A Legacy Brought to Screen alongside the film.[16]

Upon its digital release to Netflix, the film was the most-watched item over its opening weekend.[17]

Reception

Critical response
The performances of Viola Davis (top) and Chadwick Boseman both garnered widespread critical acclaim.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 263 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Framed by a pair of powerhouse performances, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom pays affectionate tribute to a blues legend — and Black culture at large."[18] According to Metacritic, which compiled 46 reviews and calculated a weighted average score of 87 out of 100, the film received "universal acclaim".[19]

Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Justin Chang said: "Boseman, evincing the same integrity he clung to his entire career, refuses to soft-pedal the destination. He imparts to this seething, shattered man the gift of a broken soul, driven by anger and trauma, and makes him all the more human for it. His final moments of screen time are among his darkest, and also his finest."[20] Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film a "B" grade and praised Boseman and Davis' performances, saying: "All of this would be more concerning if Ma Rainey's Black Bottom didn't turn on Wilson's crackling dialogue and a jazzy pace on par with the music. Above all, the movie amounts to a solid resurrection that doesn't muck up the bulk of what made the play click in the first place."[21]

Peter Travers, reviewing the film for ABC News, said: "Davis plays the real-life Ma Rainey, the Georgia singer dubbed the Mother of the Blues. Boseman invests body and soul into Levee, the hot-headed trumpeter who dares to lock horns with Ma in a shabby Chicago recording studio where they're paid to make music the way the white bosses want it. The time is 1927, but the bristling racial tensions feel as timely as ever."[22]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
AARP's Movies for Grownups Awards March 28, 2021 Best Actress Viola Davis Pending [23]
Best Director George C. Wolfe Pending
Best Screenwriter Ruben Santiago-Hudson Pending
Best Time Capsule Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Pending
Best Ensemble The cast of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Pending
Alliance of Women Film Journalists January 4, 2021 Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Won [24]
Best Actress Viola Davis Nominated
American Film Institute Awards February 26, 2021 Top 10 Movies of the Year Won [25]
Black Film Critics Circle January 21, 2021 Best Film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Won [26]
Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Won
Best Actress Viola Davis Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Ruben Santiago-Hudson Won
Boston Society of Film Critics December 13, 2020 Best Ensemble Cast The cast of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Won [27]
Chicago Film Critics Association December 21, 2020 Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Won [28]
[29]
Best Actress Viola Davis Nominated
Best Original Score Branford Marsalis Nominated
Best Costume Design Ann Roth Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards March 7, 2021 Best Picture Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Pending [30]
Best Acting Ensemble The cast of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Pending
Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Pending
Best Actress Viola Davis Pending
Best Adapted Screenplay Ruben Santiago-Hudson Pending
Best Production Design Mark Ricker, Karen O'Hara & Diana Stoughton Pending
Best Hair & Makeup Matiki Anoff, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Larry M. Cherry,
Sian Richards, Deidra Dixon and Jamika Wilson		 Pending
Best Costume Design Ann Roth Pending
Florida Film Critics Circle December 21, 2020 Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Nominated [31]
Best Actress Viola Davis Runner-up
Best Adapted Screenplay Ruben Santiago-Hudson Runner-up
Best Ensemble The cast of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Nominated
GLAAD Media Awards April 2021 Outstanding Film – Wide Release Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Pending [32]
Golden Globe Awards February 28, 2021 Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Chadwick Boseman Pending [33]
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Viola Davis Pending
Gotham Awards January 11, 2021 Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Nominated [34]
Hollywood Critics Association March 5, 2021 Best Actor Pending [35]
Best Actress Viola Davis Pending
Best Adapted Screenplay Ruben Santiago-Hudson Pending
Best Production Design Mark Ricker Pending
Best Costume Design Ann Roth Pending
Best Ensemble Cast The cast of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Pending
Best Hair & Makeup Matiki Anoff, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Larry M. Cherry,
Sian Richards, Deidra Dixon and Jamika Wilson		 Pending
Independent Spirit Awards April 22, 2021 Best Feature Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Pending [3]
Best Male Lead Chadwick Boseman Pending
Best Female Lead Viola Davis Pending
Best Supporting Male Colman Domingo Pending
Glynn Turman Pending
London Film Critics' Circle February 7, 2021 Actor of the Year Chadwick Boseman Won [36][37]
Actress of the Year Viola Davis Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association December 20, 2020 Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Won [38]
Best Actress Viola Davis Runner-up
Best Supporting Actor Glynn Turman Won
NAACP Image Awards March 21, 2021 Outstanding Motion Picture Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Pending [39][40]
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Chadwick Boseman Pending
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Viola Davis Pending
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Glynn Turman Pending
Coleman Domingo Pending
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Taylour Paige Pending
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture George C. Wolfe Pending
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album Branford Marsalis Pending
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture The cast of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Pending
National Society of Film Critics January 9, 2021 Best Actor Chadwick Boseman 2nd Place [41]
Best Actress Viola Davis 2nd Place
Best Supporting Actor Glynn Turman 2nd Place
Online Film Critics Society January 25, 2021 Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Nominated [42]
Best Actress Viola Davis Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival February 11, 2021 Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress Viola Davis Won [43]
Philadelphia Film Critics Circle January 17, 2021 Best Film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Won [44]
Best Actress Viola Davis Won
Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Runner-up
Best Score/ Soundtrack Branford Marsalis Runner-up
San Diego Film Critics Society January 11, 2021 Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Nominated [45]
Best Actress Viola Davis Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Ruben Santiago-Hudson Nominated
Best Costume Design Ann Roth Nominated
Satellite Awards February 15, 2021 Best Motion Picture – Drama Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Pending [46]
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Chadwick Boseman Pending
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Viola Davis Pending
Best Adapted Screenplay Ruben Santiago-Hudson Pending
Best Costume Design Ann Roth Pending
Screen Actors Guild Awards April 4, 2021 Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Chadwick Boseman, Jonny Coyne, Viola Davis,
Colman Domingo, Michael Potts and Glynn Turman		 Pending [47]
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Chadwick Boseman Pending
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Viola Davis Pending
St. Louis Film Critics Association January 17, 2021 Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Won [48]
Best Actress Viola Davis Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Ruben Santiago-Hudson Nominated
Best Production Design Mark Ricker Nominated
Toronto Film Critics Association February 7, 2021 Best Actor Chadwick Boseman Runner-up [49]
Best Actress Viola Davis Runner-up

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