One of the Coen brothers (not sure which), apparently said during an interview that filmmaking is all about “Tone Management.” (I heard this on the film podcast Filmspotting.)
I thought about tone management while watching through If Beale Street Could Talk. For this movie does not have much tonal variety. It is consistently, unflinchingly sad. The story – about Fonny, a young black man imprisoned for a crime he did not commit while Tish, his pregnant girlfriend tries to get him freed – is sad. The original score, albeit beautiful (and deservedly nominated for an Academy Award), is soul-crushingly sad. The slow shots and muted colors are sad. Even the sex scenes are sad!
So – onto my verdict. Is If Beale Street Could Talk a good movie? It is absolutely a worthwhile one. Its purpose is to drill home the horror of racism in America and in this it succeeds. And yet. There are a lot of loose ends. Interesting characters (such as Fani’s mother, sisters, and lawyer) are introduced briefly, and never heard from again. To some degree, sadness overwhelms story.
However, I went to bed last night thinking about this movie. And this morning I woke up thinking about it. Honestly given what African Americans had to put up with in the 1970s the least I can do is watch a two hour movie about the cruelty of systemic, institutional racism. While I cannot say I enjoyed the movie, it is a great achievement in film. Go.
January 2019 – If Beale Street Could Talk can be seen at the movie theater. Not sure if/when it will appear on various streaming services. (That’s for you Grace!)
The Judge 