"This here, this is the edge! The final frontier of Manifest Destiny!"
These words ring out as Jimmie and Montgomery skate down a San Francisco hill in an opening scene of The Last Black Man in San Francisco. Joe Talbot's 2019 film is just as much about where it is located as it is about the two characters. As Benjamin Lee of The Guardian says, the film is "a heartfelt tribute to both a city and a friendship."
This film's focus on place is clear in the aforementioned opening montage. Zooming through the streets, we are shown vignettes of San Francisco life, from smiling families to laughing friends .
Meanwhile, another aspect of life in San Francisco becomes apparent. The dichotomy between the older, poorer, and predominantly African American residents of San Francisco with the newer, wealthy, and predominantly white residents is emphasized through beautiful slow motion shots.
Apple watches, Airpods, and Polo sweaters present a stark contrast with beanies, leather jackets, and ripped jeans.
In many ways, the film is really about the struggle caused by gentrification. The title itself reads The Last Black Man in San Francisco.
The plot of the film is driven by Jimmie's desire to reclaim his family home. As the actor Jimmie Fails said,"Weird as it sounds, this movie is a love story about me and a house." Like thousands of other families, the Fails were driven out of San Francisco by an exponentially growing cost of living.
However, this experience doesn't alienate Jimmie. Instead, it makes his love for both his home and San Francisco stronger.
Towards the end of the film, he sits on a bus, listening to a pair of young women complain about San Francisco. "This city's dead," they proclaim. Responding to them, Jimmie tells them that they are not allowed to hate the city. As he says,"You don't get to hate it unless you love it."
For Jimmie, San Francisco isn't just a city: It's a way of life, a memory of better times, and a symbol of what he loves. This passion is what ultimately drives his character. He paints the house and trims the garden, even when he isn't the one living there. He risks breaking the law to live within the grand walls of the house, and even risks going into tremendous debt to buy it. As Jimmie says to Montgomery,"This house, this is what I do."
The story behind the film is nearly autobiographical, inspired by the director and his best friend's experiences. Just like Jimmie, they were forced out of San Francisco by the cost of living, yet they cling to their love of the city.
This authentic connection is showcased through the crafting of the film.
The shots of the city are beautiful. Joe Talbot worked closely with Adam Newport-Berra, the cinematographer of the film, to capture San Francisco. Every shot is painted in warm light, vivid colors, and wide frames; encapsulating the beauty of the city.
This love for the city can also be seen in how the film portrays San Franciscans. Homeless people on the street are shown laughing and reaching out to each other, while uplifting music plays. Even the "crazy folks" of San Francisco, such as a naked old man that waits with Jimmie at a bus-stop, are portrayed as an essential part of what makes the city special.
Likewise, Jimmie's childhood friends are shot in beautiful frames, with positive music and flattering lighting. Instead of one-dimensional gangsters, the film takes a much more humane and complex approach to portraying these characters. We see them laughing together, mourning the loss of Kofi, and crying as they watch Montgomery's play. As Jimmie says,"People aren't just one thing." He recalls Kofi harassing him on the street, as well as young Kofi shielding him from bullies.
The character of Montgomery embodies the film's approach to portraying people. As he says,"I shouldn't get to appreciate them because they're mean to me?"
It would have been easy for Talbot to paint the majority of the characters in the film in a negative light. The dirty homeless people, the rude and violent gangsters, the rich and racist white people, and the ungrateful outsiders. Yet, he doesn't. Just as much as the film is Jimmie's love letter to his house, it is Talbot's love letter to San Francisco.
If you enjoyed, please consider subscribing to the blog!
Comments