Devil in a Blue Dress

Rare Screening of Carl Franklin’s ‘Devil in a Blue Dress’ This Sunday at Black Cinema House in Chicago

I don't really know why Carl Franklin's 1995 film adaption of Walter Mosley's Devil in Blue Dress isn't talked about much nowdays by anyone, if at all. It's a superior film that fires on all cylinders – acting, direction, script, cinematography, editing art direction -you name it. It's almost flawless and anchoring the film are two stellar performances, a terrific one by Denzel Washington as Mosley's detective Easy Rawlins and a scene stealing one by Don Cheadle as his murderous psycho sometimes partner Mouse Alexander who people said at the time was cheated out of an Oscar Best Supporting Actor nomination.

The film is true to its film nourish roots giving us a complex, shadowy mystery story full of twists and turns with dubious characters who lie to hide their true agendas. Meanwhile Easy resolutely goes through the task of finding out the truth. He's someone, like all the great detective characters of the past such as Phillip Marlowe or Lew Archer, cynical yet driven by a sense of justice and fair play with the stubborn habit of not letting something once it has its hooks into him.

Yet the film is not simply a Humphrey Bogart film in blackface. It very accurately chronicles what like was like for black folks in this country during the 1940's. Racism and segregation weren't just a Southern thing. It was everywhere from the Midwest to the East to the so-called more liberal "Left Coast" of Southern California. Black people faced insults, oppression and degradation every day and yet persevered and endured. It wasn't easy for sure.

And that might be why the film was not a box office success when it came out in the fall of 1995.. Interestingly Washington remarked sometime after the film's release that he felt the film's lackluster performance was due to the racial angst in this country after O.J. Simpson was found innocent of murder which happened just a few days after Devils' release. People weren't in the mood to see a film, that even though was a detective thriller, dealt with race at its core.

Whether or not you believe that or not I've always suspected that another reason why the film failed to find an audience was because black audiences were unconformable with scenes in the film where Easy is forced to be submissive and acquiescent to white people. Django or Jim Brown he wasn't. They saw the film through contemporary eyes wanting Easy to knock out white guys every time one of them even looked at him with crossed eyed.

But the reality is that where dealing with America in the 1940's which was culturally barely far removed from 1840's. Attitudes were far backwards for its time. For example there's that one scene where Easy is waiting at a pier to meet sometime and is approached by a white woman who starts to have conversation with him. Easy starts looking around nervously to see if any anyone is watching them and doesn’t want to talk to her.

The fact of the matter was that, unless you were a servant, a black man just even talking to a white woman back then, no matter how innocently, was enough reason to get his head handed back to him on a platter. And sure enough two white guys catch them and he gets into a world of trouble until someone with a big gun arrives to save his skin.

But any many viewers have overlooked the fact that Easy grows in confidence and determination as the he gets deeper into the case. By at the end of the film, in the wonderful final scene, in a perfect character arc, he has become a totally different person, more aware and assured of himself and his abilities.

Yet somehow when people talk about their favorite black films Devil never is on anyone’s list. (It is on mine list) It seems to be forgotten. Though I’m sure that are those who still remember it fondly. It’s a shame that it didn’t do well since there are so many other wonderful Easy Rawlins novels that would make great films.

And with that there is going to a rare screening of the Devil in a Blue Dress at the Black Cinema House in Chicago this Sunday May 17th starting at 4 PM located at 7200 S. Kimbark Ave.

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