Bamboozled

New Internationalist, Jan-Feb, 2001

Bamboozled

directed by Spike Lee

A self-pronounced satire of racism in American popular culture, Bamboozled is a return to the broad strokes and agit-prop style of some of Lee's early films, such as Do the Right Thing. The film focuses on the dilemma faced by Pierre Delacroix (Daymon Wayans), a lone black producer in the almost completely white world of US television. From his Harvard-honed mid-Atlantic accent, to his impeccable dress, Delacroix oozes urbane sophistication. But his white boss sees him as the representative of hip and edgy black street culture and pushes him to write a television show which will draw a young audience back from new media. Sick to his soul, Delacroix decides to risk his career on a modern-day minstrel show featuring two caricatures of nineteenth century racism, Mantan and Sleep 'n eat. Predictably enough, the show is a huge hit, winning ratings wars and even a clutch of Emmys for Delacroix.

There are a number of brilliant and funny set pieces in the film, but no gripping narrative to pull us through. The actors on the minstrel show flesh out the story, but never really become fully rounded characters. Not only does Lee begin the film by defining satire, he proceeds to give the audience the background on minstrelsy. It's as though Lee wants to make a smart film but isn't sure that the audience will follow him there.

Bamboozled takes its name from Malcolm X's characterization of the situation of African Americans. But, perhaps most interestingly, the film represents some of Lee's own soul-searching as a participant in the very same racist entertainment industry he derides.

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