MovieChat Forums > Something Wild (1986) Discussion > Homage to Black/African Culture

Homage to Black/African Culture

posted 19 years ago by edela
10 replies | jump to latest

Is it me or did this film seem to pay some homage to black/African culture? Lulu wears a lot of African bracelets and necklaces, she seems to really like reggae music, there's the one scene where Charlie's outside the convenient store and there are some young people congregating around a boombox listening/dancing/beat boxing to hip hop music. Oh yeah, also, there's Sister Carol dancing and singing to the song "Wild Thing" in the ending and credits sequence. I don't know, just a thought...

[–] pjbrubak 19 years ago

The film spends a lot of time in big cities where you invariably find multi-cultural forms of music. Plus, that was the 80's.

[–] McGonigle 19 years ago

It's not an homage, Jonathan Demme just happens to put black people and black music in his movies. Unfortunately, it's still unusual for Hollywood to put a black actor in a movie without casting them as a specific "Black Character[tm]", so when you see a movie like this, it stands out.

Hey, I'm trying to eat my lunch!

[–] ItsEddieHaskellBeyotch 17 years ago

Its visually one of the reasons why I love Jonathan Demme's earlier work, this film is best to watch back to back with Demme's other film "Married to the Mob".

"A commitment to cinema means to lead a technically deviant lifestyle."

[–] filmbuff1974 15 years ago

Yes, it was pretty evident in the background. I was wondering if their was some kind of significance to it, as if to say that the only way Caucasians can free themselves from a stifling existence is by embracing "Black Culture". I notice a lot of beatniks had this mentality. I find it totally condescending and false!

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[–] kohntarkosz 14 years ago

<<the only way Caucasians can free themselves from a stifling existence is by embracing "Black Culture".>>>

I don't know if it's the "only way", but I think it can make life more adventurous. I mean, where would we be if white people never borrowed from African/American culture?! I'll tell where we'd be, we'd be listening to Perry Como and Mitch Miller, with European classical music being the only hope for musical redemption.

[–] filmbuff1974 14 years ago

"I don't know if it's the "only way", but I think it can make life more adventurous. I mean, where would we be if white people never borrowed from African/American culture?! I'll tell where we'd be, we'd be listening to Perry Como and Mitch Miller, with European classical music being the only hope for musical redemption. "--kohntarkosz

Well,...lol!

I think I was trying to say that Whites adopting "Black" culture because it is 'edgy" totally pigeon holes the Black Experience. Truth be told, much of "Black " culture is actually a hybrid of White cultural expressions with that of Black cultural expressions. I'd bet most of that gaudy Rasta jewelry and accessories had been manufactured and imported from Japan and China. America culture is a amalgam of many different cultures, truth be told!

If you love and support Michael Jackson 100%, copy & paste this into your signature. We love MJ!

[–] robken0174 9 years ago

@filmbuff, the only way Caucasians can free themselves from a stifling existance is by adopting black culture? What a racist load of sh#t. Stifling my ass. The white cultures throughout the world have many beautiful traditions, music, art, not to mention the inventions and great accomplishments. Seems non-white cultures have borrowed plenty from whites as well, but would never give whites credit.
Get your head checked with such a stupid, ignorant statement as you posted.

[–] Varo1013 14 years ago

This was one of my favorite movies in the 80's. I just watched it again this evening and really enjoyed the diversity pictured throughout the film. It's funny this movie was made in the 80's and seems more diverse than movies made today. I didn't notice it when watching the movie back then, but it does seem to pay homage to black culture.

[–] MrHooba 13 years ago

It has been stated by scholars worldwide that Demme paid tribute to Jacko in Silence of the Lambs with the Buffalo Bill character. Demme couldn't use actual Jacko music in the movie so he used "Goodbye Horses" instead.

[–] Fully_Loaded 11 years ago

I loved the song at the end

and just saw this movie for the first time last night

would love the soundtrack but doubt I could get it nowadays