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Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

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100% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 94% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings

Critics Reviews

View All (7) Critics Reviews
Peter Travers Rolling Stone Rated: 4/4 Aug 14, 2007 Full Review Nick Schager Slant Magazine Proves that, no matter what punches were thrown at him, no one ever wiped that triumphant smile off of Jack Johnson's face. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 5, 2004 Full Review Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts Boston Phoenix The archival footage alone justifies the entire enterprise. Jul 2, 2018 Full Review Greg Tate The Nation Burns's footage of Johnson in action is astounding, and the commentary from Stanley Crouch, Gerald Early and James Earl Jones provides acerbic, one-two punching Black male insights. Apr 19, 2018 Full Review Jason Gorber Film Scouts Burns brings forth many impressive historical details, all contextualized within the overarching story of Race in America. Hours later, you are left with what feels like a genuine sense of what made the guy tick, and the world that he inhabited. Yet anoth Rated: A Jun 21, 2007 Full Review Donald J. Levit ReelTalk Movie Reviews The subject is admirably served here. Oct 29, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member One the best biographical documentaries I have seen. The depiction of Jack Johnson's life portrays one magnetizing human being. The documentary takes us through the context of the times, the atmosphere and the mores of that era, and one great soul that simply cannot be defined by his externalities. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Another Ken Burns' PBS Home Video. The greatest heavyweight boxer in American history...Jack Johnson. Confident, smiling and proud, Jack Johnson rose from oblivion to fight his way to the top of the boxing profession in the early 1900's. During a time of extreme bigotry and strict social rules, Johnson dared to be not just a black person, but a MAN. He lived hard and fast, dated and married white women, and became known as a "sport" because of his debonair clothing and manner. And he looked white men in the eye as an equal (NOT allowed at that time). Raw hatred by the "white race" against a black "animal" who dared to think himself equal to or even better than them! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member http://filmreviewsnsuch.blogspot.com/2016/02/unforgivable-blackness-rise-and-fall-of_12.html Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member An amazing documentary about a complicated American. Further evidence that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member A great historical documentary on boxing, black history and American culture through the larger than life figure Jack Johnson. http://youtu.be/Ex1TX2Vp3pQ Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member David is the perfect narrator and Jackson is amazing as Johnson. A true hero for boxers, an idol for hedonists and a pioneer of conspicuous consumption and reckless driving. All the more remarkable for doing what he liked a century ago. The amount of racism back then is RIDICULOUS. It's hard to imagine the world before World War 1. The first movie shown at the White House was Birth of a Nation!? Ooooo... He really shouldn't have fought the younger, taller opponent. Strangely it doesn't mention the wrench patent he got while in prison. 3.5 hours was longer than necessary. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Director
Kevin Burns