I've always liked films that portray black people, communities or culture or historical events. I need some recommendations, because I'm really interested in this topic and want to have better knowledge on these things.

Here are some of my favorites that I really enjoyed. Of course not all of them is based on real events, but segregation and racism was (and sadly is) real enough to serve as a basis for a story.

The Help
Precious
12 Years a Slave
Selma
The Blind Side
Django Unchained

So, what are YOUR favorites? Do they portray historical events/black people, their culture accurately?

I like the movies you mentioned but I would like for Hollywood to stop giving minorities the same roles, over and over again. Slave and servitude roles are getting old, maybe they could portray black people in a way where were not being objectives and dehumanized.

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Not to mention the way certain black movies are "successful" for these similar themes over other movies, it's kinda annoying.

This. I wouldn't really call it an "accurate" portrayal since this is not what black people are like anymore. You wouldn't really look at George Washington or Abraham Lincoln and say "This is what white people are like." The only modern movie I can think of is "Dear White People." It talks about race relations nowadays in a "normal" setting in college. Obviously black people's lives don't just revolve around race but it is a big issue within the black community.

This.

I love The Help, Selma, and 12 Years a Slave. They are great depictions of important moments in Black History. I would however like to see Blacks, Latinos, and other minorities being represented as regular, real, and relatable onscreen characters. When it comes to non-historical movies we are caricatured, objectified, exoticized, stereotyped, and some times ridiculed. That is if we can actually get a minority to be more than a supporting character in a film.

TV is somewhat ahead in this respect. There are more shows on television with minority protagonists who are realistic, likable, and not completely focused on/defined by their race/ethnicity (for example anything produced by Shonda Rhimes, Lucifer, Sleepy Hollow, etc.).

Edit: One classic film that I really love, even though it's a bit old, is Claudine (with Diahann Carroll). You can actually watch it on youtube. It deals with social issues in a beautiful way without being tragic or preachy.

I agree with you on that, but there are some stories that are really worth telling, because people don't get taught about it in History class.

Exactly
OP try Fruitvale Station or Dear White People

Ironically these are the only films were WE receive acclaim and recognition for, white people love to see blacks oppressed and held against their will.

Lmao slavery and segregation is not our culture. All of those movies listed is Hollywood's pathetic fetishization of a tragic moment in American history.

Main reason why I don't watch or support any of these slave movies.

'black culture' ???

You realise that there are over 1 billion black people on this planet. The films you listed don't even scratch the surface of the diversity of cultures that exist in sub-Saharan Africa alone.

Welp

!!!

And slavery and the slave trade isn't our culture. It's history, that we suffered from. But there's a lot more we have but I guess Hollywood forgets that.

****ing same.

Well true, I think the op asked about black American movies

Do The Right Thing by Spike Lee
The Color Purprle
Malcolm X
City of God
The Butler

Big Momma's House
Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Coming to America
American Horror Story: Coven

Top five are serious and interesting, last four are 'inspired by' or touch upon culture/some issues

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My bad, I was using black as in the black people of the US. I study American Culture and that's what my teachers use as a general term, sorry for not specifying.

I agree, it's not black culture, but it's a very important period of history. Of course one can view it as a fetishization and see it from that point of view, but I like the fact that despite whatever their real intention was these movies shed light on important issues and for the people who think it doesn't finish after the credit's rolled.

Another very sad and true observation, it's almost like the majority of the film industry wants to use black people as a prop to re-enact those scenarios. Horrible.


Thank you for all your recommendations, I'm going to look them up. And thank you everyone for joining this conversation, it feels great to talk about this with other people, because in my environment most people are either racist or don't think these are issues that are worth adressing.