But two months later, when it started screening in movie theaters across America, black writers saw it as another trite example of the country’s insatiable appetite for white-savior narratives. The initial positive buzz set such a strong tone that its best-picture win at the Academy Awards seemed a foregone conclusion . “What the makers of this movie are missing is just that many black critics didn’t get to see this movie until it came out,” during Oscar season, well after early screenings for critics, Mr. Collins said during a panel at the Sundance Film Festival. “When black critics do finally get to see this movie, it is seen as disrupting the Oscar campaign,” Mr. Collins said. We need culture writers who see and think from places of difference and who are willing to take unpopular positions so that ideas can evolve or die.

Source: New York Times July 05, 2019 15:54 UTC