THINK - Film

AA Jazzman’s Blues is an American drama film written, produced, and directed by Tyler Perry and produced by Tyler Perry Studios.

A little history on the production of the film- Mr. Perry wrote the screenplay for the film in 1995 and waited on a response from Diana Ross to play a lead character in the movie and after 18 years of trying he eventually gave up and moved on with casting the movie. The film, set in 1947 in the South, surrounds a young man named Bayou, played by Joshua Boone, who falls in love with Leanne, played by Solea Pfeiffer. Theirs was a forbidden love and in a 40-year time span many secrets are revealed to a man who is in politics named Johnathan Dupree, who is played by Kario Marcel. Johnathan who is against Black Civil Rights, was raised as a white child, his paternal grandmother whom he never knew, presents him with letters that reveal the 40 years of secrets. His true paternity becomes known to him as he begins to learn about his mother, Leanne’s love affair with Bayou. This was the cause for her to be sent North with her mother but she returned to the South years later and was forced by her mother to pass as White and marry a White man.

Leanne and Bayou secretly reunite after many years. Bayou reveals that he had faithfully written Leanne letters which she had been unaware of hence he received no reply; yet he patiently waited, confident in their love.

Bayou and Leanne could not be seen in public together, due to Leann’s passing as white and being married to a white man running for governor and her brother-in-law being in the police. Leanne’s mother learns of her romance with Bayou and fears losing her new found status so; she lies and tells her son-in-law’s family that Bayou, a negro boy, whistled at Leanne. This infuriates her son-inlaw and he and his brother, in their rage, hunt for Bayou to kill him. Bayou’s brother Willie Earl, played by Austin Scott, is a musician on his way to Chicago in search of stardom. Ira, played by Ryan Eggold, who is a German music promoter, helps Willie Earl to become a part of a famous band. Bayou, learns of the lynch mob after him, fleas with his brother and the German promoter to Chicago. While on the road leaving the South, Ira pulls over for Bayou because he becomes sick. They both end up in a field talking. Bayou wants to return home as he believes he was a coward for leaving. So, in their conversation Ira describes to Bayou the horrible conditions and helplessness of living in a Jewish ghetto during the Holocaust. He lost his wife and daughter, who were shot and killed in front of him and there was nothing that he could do. He then says to Bayou, “Sometimes you just must go on so you can come back to help. I couldn’t help my family”. He then lets Bayou know that since then, he has helped many people and that once Bayou learns to survive then, he too can help others.

A powerful crossroads is reached in this scene; Mr. Perry inserted two different cultures, two different belief systems and from the outside looking in, two different races that are sharing the same pain. It is a German man who is sharing his story with an Afro-American man and yet their worlds are not that different and their pain in that moment becomes unified. Ira expressed the conditions of the ghetto (which historically originated with Jews not AfroAmericans) because it is a parallel to Bayou’s life. In that moment, it was about one brother encouraging another brother; giving him just enough hope to keep going, until he is strong enough to help his loved ones. A series of choices are made in that field that ripple across many lives into the future. Whenever you meet someone at the crossroads of life, will you pass them by or will you surrender your heart for their salvation?

The power of God can be seen in this scene. 1 Samuel 16:7 states, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart”. This scene exemplifies a moment where it was about the heart and not ethnicity. Tyler Perry, is making a social commentary on current society and this challenge hangs poignantly, in the air.

Three questions we are asked: 1. Are we meeting people in their heart posture when they are sharing their testimony? 2. Are we vulnerable in our own pain so that we can help others out of theirs? 3. Are we true examples of Christ? Go and see the film. It is a tragic love story about imperfect people who are all searching for meaning in their lives and who are grappling to understand the brotherhood of mankind. How they see the world and the people in it, how prepared they are to change it for good has far reaching consequences. p

LaQwonna “Lady Q” Glaster Evangelist, Prayer Warrior, Poet, Visual Artist, Sisters of Faith Founder & Event Planner