Rosewood

R

Released Feb 21, 1997

2 hr. 20 min.

History

Drama

List

87%

55 Reviews

Tomatometer

83%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Rosewood, Florida, is a small, peaceful town with an almost entirely African-American population of middle-class homeowners, until New Year's Day 1923, when a lynch mob from a neighboring white community storms the town. Among the carnage, music teacher Sylvester (Don Cheadle) and mysterious stranger Mann (Ving Rhames) stand tall against the invaders, while white grocer John (Jon Voight) attempts to save the town's women and children. The film is based on a true story.

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Critics Consensus

In some respects, Rosewood struggles to present a full picture of the real-life tragedy it dramatizes, but it remains a harrowing depiction of racial violence.

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Alec B

The final act might initially seem too implausible, except that the movie is clearly meant to be a Western even though it addresses a real historical event. Your mileage for how it uses the conventions of that genre may very but I think it strikes a good balance especially when you see how carefully the direction and screenplay lay out the horrifying explosion of racially motivated mob violence.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

jon c

The late John Singleton directs the true story of one of the most excruciating moments in American history starring Ving Rhames, Jon Voight, Don Cheadle, and Michael Rooker In Rosewood, Florida it's one of the only residential areas where blacks own their property and businesses However given this is 1923 racial segregation is still prominent One day a white woman who's engaged in several infidelities is attacked in the town and falsely accuses a black man of the assault With the prejudice so high the whites gather to lynch and raid the blacks and their homes until they get true justice in their eyes Voight is actually one of the few whites wanting to defend the blacks from unfair hostility, he sees them as human as they are Rhames as a former veteran decides to ban the townsfolk together to defend themselves This is one of the few films portraying Southern racist hysteria being shown so clearly Color, class and sex are woven together on a level that Faulkner would have appreciated The movie doesn't shy away from mob mentality, the levels of bigotry, and the need to fight for personal freedom and from persecution It really is hard to watch at times; human cruelty, hatred, reveling in racial supremacy, and savagery will always be prevalent to this day Nearly 40 and 150 victims of the massacre were counted mostly blacks But thankfully in 1993 after 70 years reparations were made specifically to the families with some whites testifying on blacks' behalf's Singleton makes a movie that's very harrowing but depicts the real horror of racist American history at its core with much underlying psychological truths A topic such as this is inflammatory but important to look at the demons hiding in a small part of the world much less this town One of Singleton's finest if most harsh outings

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

dave s

What happened in Rosewood, Florida is a dark part of American history that needs to be told, but John Singleton's film doesn't necessarily do full justice to the tragic and horrifying story. In January of 1923, a group of vigilantes descended on the primarily black town and engaged in a vicious and bloody killing spree over several days. The film, to its credit, doesn't shy away from the racial issues or the violence. However, it's an overly didactic attempt to explain the events that often resorts to typical Hollywood tropes (the train chase, the ‘I'm still alive!' revelation, the romantic kiss at the end) and feels like a combination of a Sam Peckinpah film and a spaghetti western, with Ving Rhames toting two blazing guns like the Clint Eastwood's ‘man with no name' character. It's a noble attempt that feels like it falls short.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The final act might initially seem too implausible, except that the movie is clearly meant to be a Western even though it addresses a real historical event. Your mileage for how it uses the conventions of that genre may very but I think it strikes a good balance especially when you see how carefully the direction and screenplay lay out the horrifying explosion of racially motivated mob violence.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An overall solid film about the horrifying glee and sport of hunting people of color over a false claim and lie of rape from a white woman in the 1920's. Directed by John Singleton.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

nilufer e

It's a movie about the Rosewood massacre of 1923, which was a totally horrifying racial violence. I was stunned the whole time and learning that it's a true story gave me nightmares.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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John Singleton

Director

Jon Voight

John Wright

Ving Rhames

Mann

Don Cheadle

Sylvester Carrier

Bruce McGill

Duke Purdy

Loren Dean

James Taylor

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Mark Caro

Chicago Tribune

Singleton's main goal is the vivid re-creation of mob violence, and he achieves it expertly.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 5, 2020

Full Review

Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Singleton's boldness is invigorating _ and merciless.

Jun 5, 2020

Full Review

David Parkinson

Empire Magazine

Harrowing this may be, but the concessions to commercialism rob it of much of its genuine power.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 5, 2020

Full Review

Stephen Hunter

Baltimore Sun

Undoubtedly a great movie could have been made of this still unhealed scab on the body politic. But "Rosewood," John Singleton's film of these events, isn't it.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 5, 2020

Full Review

Steve Persall

Tampa Bay Times

The fact that Rosewood takes time to understand its demons is an uncommon touch for any film that addresses such an inflammatory topic.

Rated: A-

Jun 5, 2020

Full Review

VyceVictus

Birth.Movies.Death.

A unique and shining example of telling the stories of our past that need to be told, lest their lessons be lost forever.

Jun 5, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Rosewood, Florida, is a small, peaceful town with an almost entirely African-American population of middle-class homeowners, until New Year's Day 1923, when a lynch mob from a neighboring white community storms the town. Among the carnage, music teacher Sylvester (Don Cheadle) and mysterious stranger Mann (Ving Rhames) stand tall against the invaders, while white grocer John (Jon Voight) attempts to save the town's women and children. The film is based on a true story.

Director: John Singleton
Executive Producer: Tracy Barone
Screenwriter: Gregory Poirier
Distributor: Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Peters Entertainment, New Deal Productions
Rating: R
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 21, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.1M
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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