The name ‘Chadwick Boseman’ may not be known in many households across the United States, but a few of the actor’s films may be. The films in reference are 42 and Get On Up. What is the common denominator of these productions? They are biographical films (biopics).
The Express – His Film Debut
The actor’s movie debut came in 2008 when he played a minor role as Floyd Little in another biopic – The Express – that chronicled the life of the first African-American to win the coveted Heisman Trophy, Ernie Davis. The spotlight may not have been on him, but he certainly delivered in the scenes that he was a part of.
42 – His Big Break
Though it took him a further five years to appear in a major film, it would not be surprising if he were not too disappointed about that, as he was given a chance to star in a production – the biopic of Jackie Robinson entitled 42.
Boseman as the baseball icon, Jackie Robinson in “42″.
At the end of the movie, you would not be able to tell that it was Boseman’s first major role. Considering the pressure that must have been placed on him to deliver in his portrayal of the former Los Angeles Dodgers baseball icon, he actually seemed quite comfortable in it. Depending on how you look at it, the fact that Robinson’s wife told him that Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington were the actors targeted to play the role had the film been produced in earlier generations could have added pressure as well, or motivated him to prove to her that he is the right man for the job.
Replicating the ‘Godfather’
If for no other reason, Boseman’s role as James Brown in Get On Up can be praised for his ability to replicate the dance moves of ‘The Godfather of Soul’. From the nimble dance moves to the splits, he made sure to get everything done.
Aside from this, everything else associated with the funk machine was depicted – his passion, his confidence and even his conflicts. Such was the performance that some critics are making the argument that a “Best Actor” award may be on the cards for Boseman at upcoming award shows.
Is He a Genius?
One of the first things that come to mind when thinking of Chadwick’s acting is his apparent versatility. Baseball and singing don’t exactly fall within the same category. In both productions he is able to capture both African American icons, and with his performance bring them back to life – if only for a couple hours.
Boseman as a young James Brown in “Get On Up”.
On the topic of being a genius, there are those who will stake the claim that two major roles is not enough to determine whether or not Boseman is. Having said that, however, if his performances continue in such a vein – provided that he accepts a couple more roles in that mold in the future – then it would be quite a hard task to deny him the prestige.
In both productions, his portrayal of his character was arguably spot-on. The actor was full of emotion as he depicted Jackie Robinson’s struggle to burst through the racial tapes to make an appearance on baseball’s biggest stage, and he was beaming with soul and “swag” as he brought James Brown to life. Notably, such was his performance in the latter that there are those who described it as perfect.
Chadwick’s in Good Company
Throughout the years, there have been quite a number of biopics of memorable contributors to the African American community, and there have been outstanding performances by renowned actors in those roles as well. Will Smith is one of the first names that’s likely to register in the minds of many for his roles as Muhammad Ali in the 2001 film Ali and Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness released in 2006. He received multiple award nominations for both roles.
Denzel Washington – who has a much longer acting career than Boseman and Smith – has featured in over five biopics. Among the roles he has played is Malcolm X in the 1992 film of the same name, Herman Boone in Remember The Titans (2000), drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007), Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007).
Denzel Washington is no stranger to the biopic. Here he is in “Remember the Titans”.
His Future?
Interestingly, while many movie lovers would hold the opinion that Boseman thrives in biopics, the actor himself doesn’t appear to be too keen on another role in a similar capacity, expressing that it wouldn’t be a wise decision. Though he didn’t state the reason he held this belief, if one were to guess it would be that he doesn’t want to be pigeonholed into appearing solely in African American biopics. Considering that three of his first four appearances are – though he only stars in two – that concern is more than understandable. Who knows? Maybe he’s interested in a role in an action or adventure film to showcase other aspects of his acting talent.
Chadwick Boseman – A Biography Genius?
No comments:
Post a Comment