Rosewood

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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 4/5 Stars •  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 4/5 Stars •  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 2.5/5 Stars •  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 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 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 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Good yet depressing movie subject. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Rosewood

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