Week Thirteen

4. According to Ed Guerrero, what were the three phases of the black image in Hollywood films?
pre-blaxploitation, submissive portrayal of blacks.
blaxploitation era - black films that challenged the mainstream ideology reguarding the black image.
Current New Black Cinema - where black independents and blaxploiation merged.


5. Why did the filmmakers of the "LA Rebellion / Los Angeles School" (including Charles Burnett) reject traditional Hollywood production values?

they rejected the traditional hollywood projection values because although they mastered the technique, they chose not to utilize it because they were being ignored so the Los Angeles School "politicized the question of technical compitence"

6. What are the two distinct notions of "guerrilla cinema" exemplified by Spike Lee and Bill Gunn?

Bill Gunn worked in Hollywood to earn money to finance films that were against hollywood. He wanted to challege the asthetic principles of the studios from the inside of the system.
Spike Lee made independent films in order to acheive a hollywood recognized career so that he could penatrate hollywood.

7. What are the two divergent readings of Spike Lee's films by Amiri Baraka and Houston Baker?

Baraka groups Lee in with other young film makers who seek economic struggle over political struggle and he states that Lee is just caricaturizing the black revolutionary politics in his films.
Baker says that Lee's focus on economics is not in purposeful disreguard for politics, but just Lee's political Ideology. Baker also notes that Lee shows his devotion to politics through interest in New York City's politics.
However, both Baraka and Baker think that Lee doesnt treat women characters in his film with much respect.