CINEMATIC HISTORY:
20th CENTURY FILM
20th century film proved to be a contested space in which Black representation and artistry was inextricably linked to the development of the medium–from D. W. Griffith’s undeniably racist The Birth of a Nation to films in which Black creatives such as Oscar Micheaux were able to tell their own stories. Below you will find a selection of 50 significant 20th century films that chart the evolution of Black representation in film both in front of and behind the camera, from silent films to animation, melodramas to musicals, Westerns to high-school dramas and shorts. For horror films, see our separate list of 20th century horror. Please be aware that some of these films contain racist content and we have noted elements that might be disturbing or offensive to viewers. We have also highlighted significant accomplishments by Black filmmakers and performers.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, dir. Edwin S. Porter. 1903.
Watch the full film on YouTube.
Directed by Edwin S. Porter, Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a 1903 American silent film adaptation of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852). The film features the first Black character portrayed in an American film, however the character is in fact played by a white actor in Black face. Set on a Southern plantation in the 19th century, the film attempts to present the cruel realities of slavery, but its depiction of enslaved people–including scenes where slaves are seen dancing–has been compared with racist minstrel shows.
A Fool and His Money, dir. Alice Guy. 1912.
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The 1912 American silent comedy A Fool and His Money is one of the earliest films with an African American cast, if not in fact the first film. Directed by Alice Guy-Blaché, the plot follows Sam Jones (James Russell, who is the only actor credited in the film) on his journey from rags to riches and back to rags again along with his love life that mirrors his financial luck.
Within Our Gates, dir. Oscar Micheaux. 1920.
Watch the full film on the Library of Congress.
Within Our Gates is the oldest known surviving film created by an African American director, and also the oldest surviving race film (films produced between 1915 and the 1950s primarily for Black audiences). Written, produced and directed by Oscar Micheaux, Within Our Gates is a silent American film that portrays the revival of the Ku Klux Klan and the impact of Jim Crow laws in early 20th century America. The film follows Sylvia Landry (Evelyn Preer), an African American woman from the South who visits her cousin in the North as she attempts to fundraise money for a school for poor Black children. Racial violence, sexual violence and the lynching of Black people are explored in the film, and led to controversy and fears that it would spark interracial violence in Chicago, a city still recovering from the race riots of July 1919. In 2023, Slate named the film one of the greatest films ever created by a Black director.
The Jazz Singer, dir. Alan Crosland. 1927.
Watch the full film on the Internet Archive.
Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and directed by Alan Crosland, The Jazz Singer marks the transition from silent cinema to sound films as it was the first feature length film to include several sequences of synchronised recorded music and lip-synchronous singing and speech. This musical tells the story of Jakie Rabinowitz (Al Jolson), who runs away from his devout Jewish family to pursue a career in entertainment. Years later, we see him performing as a popular Jazz singer under his stage persona, Jack Robin, however his act is performed in Black face. The Jazz Singer is one of many films produced in early twentieth century cinema that exploits minstrel shows and blackface imagery, and such practices are now widely condemned as racist.
The Scar of Shame, dir. Frank Peregini. 1929.
Watch the full film on the Internet Archive.
The Scar of Shame is a silent melodrama produced by the Colored Players Film Corporation of Philadelphia. It is written by David Starkman and directed by Frank Peregini, and though these men are both white, The Scar of Shame is notable for being a feature film created primarily for a Black audience, and featuring an entirely Black cast. The film explores Black urban life and focuses on musician Alvin Hillyard (Harry Henderson) who marries Lucretia Green (Ann Kennedy) after witnessing her being physically abused by her stepfather. However, Lucretia is from a lower socio-economic class than Alvin, and the film follows his struggles to reveal his marriage to his mother who wants him to marry someone of their economic status.
Hallelujah, dir. King Vidor. 1929.
Watch the full film online on the Internet Archive.
Released in 1929, Hallelujah is often lauded as Hollywood’s first musical with an all Black cast. While this accolade actually belongs to Hearts in Dixie (dir. Paul Sloane), which premiered a few months earlier, Hallelujah is still momentous as being one of the earliest film projects to give African American actors significant roles. Daniel L. Haynes stars as Zeke, a sharecropper who we follow as he is repeatedly tempted by Chick (Nina Mae McKinney), the “first black whore” depicted on the silver screen, who first cheats him out of his money and then seduces him into an affair. The film was intended for a general audience, and it was a critical and commercial success. However, Hallelujah has also faced criticism for its portrayal of Black stereotypes, in particular the “Black harlot” as an erotic sex object and the Black rural worker as naive and child-like.
The Mask of Fu Manchu, dir. Charles Brabin. 1932.
Watch clips of The Mask of Fu Manchu on YouTube.
Directed by Charles Brabin, The Mask of Fu Manchu is a pre-Code American film starring Boris Karloff as the villain, Fu Manchu. The film is based on Sax Rohmer’s novel of the same name, and centres on Fu Manchu’s quest for the golden sword and mask of Genghis Khan. In 1972, following the film’s theatrical re-release, the Japanese American Citizens League sent a letter to MGM requesting that the film be removed from circulation due to its negative portrayal of Asian people, and the film and the portrayal of Fu Manchu have been criticised for the use of racist Yellow Face and yellow peril. The film also features negative portrayals of Black characters, as Fu Manchu is frequently depicted surrounded by Black servants who are mute and semi-nude.
The Littlest Rebel, dir. David Butler. 1935.
Watch a clip of Virgie Cary (Shirley Temple) and Uncle Billy (Bill "Bojangles" Robinson) on YouTube.
The Littlest Rebel is a 1935 American musical starring Shirley Temple as Virgie Cary, a six year-old girl born into a slave-owning family who learns about the American Civil war and slavery from her slave, Uncle Billy (Bill Robinson). Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was the most highly paid Black actor in the first half of the 20th century, and this film is one of many he starred in throughout his long and successful career. However, this film has faced modern criticism for its depiction of American race relations and for Temple’s performance in Black face.
Song of Freedom, dir. J. Elder Wills. 1936.
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Directed by J. Elder Wills, Song of Freedom is a 1936 British musical starring Paul Robeson. Robeson plays John "Johnny" Zinga, a Black British dockworker who feels alienated from his African roots. Johnny is a talented singer, and soon trades his job as a dockworker for becoming an international star, but here he discovers his ancestral lineage to African kings, and decides to give up fame and money to move to Africa and take up his rightful place as a royal. Notably, Robeson was given final-cut approval for the film. It was very unusual in the period for an actor of any race to be given this approval, and this demonstrates the star power and high regard Robeson had within the industry.
Harlem on the Prairie, dir. Sam Newfield and Jed Buell. 1937.
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Released in 1937, the American race film Harlem on the Prairie was marketed as the first all-Black Western musical. The film helped to correct the false Hollywood portrayal of an all-white Old-West, and drew on the history of Black cowboys to create the character of Jeff Kincaid (Herbert Jeffrey), who is entrusted with the task of finding hidden gold stolen twenty years prior, and returning it to its rightful owners. The film proved an immediate success, and in 1940 The New York Post credited Harlem on the Prairie with the largest box-office profits of any all-African-American film. Wanting to continue the success of Black cowboy films, but with the rights of cowboy Jeff Kincaid tied up Sack Amusements, executive Richard C. Kahn and the film’s star Herbert Jeffrey teamed up to make a new film. The result was Two-Gun Man from Harlem which premiered the following year and introduced the screen cowboy Bob Blake, also played by Jeffrey.
Everybody Sing, dir. Edwin L. Marin. 1938.
Watch a clip of Judy Bellaire (Judy Garland) singing in blackface on Youtube.
Directed by Edwin L. Marin, Everybody Sing is a 1938 American musical comedy starring Judy Garland. Judy Bellaire (Garland) has a love for Jazz music, but this passion sees her expelled from school and almost shipped off to Europe by her family. Judy manages to escape and instead auditions for a musical show as a Black face singer, where she soon becomes the star and eventually reunites with her family. This film is one of several in which Judy Garland performs in Blackface (see also Babes on Broadway), and it has faced recent criticism for the use of this racist entertainment practice.
Gone With the Wind, dir. Victor Fleming. 1939.
Watch a clip of Mammy on YouTube.
Adapted from the 1936 novel of the same name by Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind is an American film set in the South and against the backdrop of the American Civil War. The film centres on Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), daughter of a Georgia plantation owner, and her romantic relationships. Although the film is often regarded as one of the greatest films of all times, it has also faced criticism since its release for glorifying and whitewashing the history of slavery. Melvin B. Tolson wrote of the film that “Birth of a Nation was such a barefaced lie that a moron could see through it. Gone with the Wind is such a subtle lie that it will be swallowed as truth by millions of whites and blacks alike.” In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Academy Award for her role as Mammy, but this character has also faced criticism for being a racial stereotype, while McDaniel was accused of being an Uncle Tom by Walter Francis White, the then leader of the NAACP.
Dumbo, dir. Ben Sharpsteen. 1941.
Watch a clip of the “Jim Crow” Crows on YouTube.
Dumbo is a 1941 animated film produced by animation giant Walt Disney. When it was first released, the film was met with critical acclaim, but has since faced criticism for its stereotypical depiction of Black characters. While the narrative focuses on the elephant Dumbo and his big ears, in 2018 The Encyclopedia of Racism in American Films noted that the only time that Black characters are seen on screen are as labourers and that all of the circus workers are African American. Perhaps the most controversial part of the film, however, is the group of singing crows, of which the leader is named “Jim Crow” in reference to racial segregation laws and also a pre-Civil war minstrel character. The majority of the crows are voiced by the “Hall Johnson Choir”, an all Black choir, but the main crow is performed by white actor Cliff Edwards, and in the 1950s the character was renamed to “Dandy Crow” in response to the criticism. The 2019 live-action remake of Dumbo does not include the crows at all.
Song of the South, dir. Wilfred Jackson and Harve Foster. 1946.
Watch the full film on the Internet Archive.
Released in 1946, Song of the South is an American musical comedy set on a Georgia plantation after the American Civil War and following the abolition of slavery. The film is based on the Uncle Remus stories, a collection of African American folktales adapted by Joel Chandler Harris that feature the adventures of Br'er Rabbit, and which are included in the film in three animated segments. James Baskett stars as Uncle Remus, and in 1948 he was awarded an Academy Honorary Award for his performance, becoming the first African American male actor to earn an Academy Award although ironically Baskett had been unable to attend the Atlanta premiere of the film due to the state’s racial segregation laws. While the film was praised for its animation and songs, it has also faced strong criticism for its stereotyped portrayal of Black characters and for presenting a sanitised and even glorified version of slavery. The NAACP picketed the film, while Richard B. Dier, writing for The Afro-American, castigated Song of the South for being “as vicious a piece of propaganda for white supremacy as Hollywood ever produced.” In response to the film’s controversial legacy, Disney has refused to release Song of the South on any home video format in America and it has never been available to stream on Disney+.
Souls of Sin, dir. Powell Lindsay. 1949.
Watch the full film on the Internet Archive.
In 1945, William Alexander founded the Associated Film Producers of Negro Motion Pictures, and his feature film Souls of Sin has been characterised as the last all-Black film made by a Black producer. The film is written and directed by Powell Lindsay, who also stars as Bad Boy George. Bad Boy George is a gangster, and the film explores poverty, crime and gun violence in Harlem.
Carmen Jones, dir. Otto Preminger. 1954.
Starring acclaimed African American actors Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, and Pearl Bailey, Carmen Jones is a 1954 American musical. The film is adapted from the Broadway opera of the same name and the earlier 1845 novella Carmen of which the stage musical is based on. When Otto Preminger realised that no major Hollywood Studio would finance an operatic film with an all-Black cast, he decided to produce it independently. In 1955, the film won a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and Dorothy Dandridge also became the first African American to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Imitation of Life, dir. Douglas Sirk. 1959.
Released in 1959, Douglas Sirk’s Imitation of Life is the second film adaptation of Fannie Hurst’s 1933 novel of the same name, following a 1934 version. The film explores issues of race, class and gender and it follows two families of single mothers and daughters, the Merediths who are white and the Johnsons who are Black. While widowed mother Lora Meredith (Lana Turner) pursues a career on Broadway, her daughter seeks comfort from her friend Sarah-Jane Johnson (Susan Kohner) who is struggling with her identity and the consequences of passing as white while a light skinned mixed race woman. In 1960, Khoner won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Sarah-Jane.
To Keep Our Way of Life, dir. Cliff Owen. 1959.
Watch the full film on BFI Player.
To Keep Our Way of Life is a television play broadcast live in 1959 that explores racism and prejudice in Britain. The narrative features Errol John as a West Indian man and explores his experiences of racial discrimination in a white-dominated British business.
A Raisin in the Sun, dir. Daniel Petrie. 1961.
A Raisin in the Sun is a 1961 film adaptation of a 1959 play of the same name by African American writer Lorraine Hansberry, who was the first African American woman to have a play performed on Broadway. Her play and the 1961 film follow a Black family who want to move away from Chicago for a better life. The film was widely praised upon its release and Ruby Dee won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ruth Younger.
You in Your Small Corner, dir. Claude Whatham. 1962
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Broadcast in 1962 as part of ITV’s Play of the Week series, You in Your Small Corner is a British television play adapted from the stage play of the same name by Jamaican-born Barry Reckord. Set in Brixton, the narrative follows middle-class Jamaican man, Dave (Lloyd Reckord), and his interracial relationship with Terry (Elizabeth MacLennan) a working-class white woman. The film features one of the earliest interracial kisses to be broadcast on British television.
Ten Bob in Winter, dir. Lloyd Reckford. 1963.
Watch the full film on BFI Player.
Ten Bob in Winter is a British short film that follows the journey of a ten shilling note as it is passed around the Black community. Directed by Jamaican-born actor, director and filmmaker Lloyd Reckford, the film is considered to be a classic of early Black British cinema, and it documents Black British culture and Britain’s class system. Ten Bob in Winter has no dialogue, and instead incorporates a jazz-rap style narration provided by Reckford and a jazz soundtrack performed by Jamaican-born alto-saxophonist Joe Harriott’s Quintet.
In the Heat of the Night, dir. Norman Jewison, 1967.
Set in a small Mississippi town, In the Heat of the Night focuses on Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) a Black police detective from Philadelphia as he becomes embroiled in a murder investigation and has to work with the racist white Police chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) to solve the case. The film is the first major Hollywood production shot in colour that was lit with proper consideration for its Black actors, and Poitier and Steiger were praised by Time Magazine for their performances that “break brilliantly with black-white stereotype”. In 1967 In the Heat of the Night won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Faith and Henry, dir. Jack Gold. 1969.
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Set against the industrial landscape of Lancashire in Britain, Faith and Henry is a British coming of age film. It follows the interracial friendship of Henry (John Baron), a white teenager, and Faith (Hilary Baker), his Jamaican school friend as they walk home along a canal and through factories and viaducts
Shaft, dir. Gordon Parks. 1971.
Directed by Gordon Parks–one of the first African American filmmakers to direct a film within Hollywood–Shaft is a Blaxploitation crime thriller that tells the story of a private detective named John Shaft (Richard Roundtree). In the film, Shaft is hired by a Harlem mobster to help rescue his daughter, who has been kidnapped by the Italian mobsters. The film was created to appeal to Black and white audiences and explores themes of masculinity and sexuality as well as Black power. The film’s soundtrack was recorded by Isaac Hayes and won a Grammy Award for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture. Hayes also became the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song which he won for the "Theme from Shaft". Since its release, Shaft has maintained a lasting popularity: Roundtree’s Shaft is now considered to be “the first Black action hero”, and to date there have been four film sequels and a short television sequel.
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, dir. Melvin Van Peebles. 1971.
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is a 1971 independent American film written, directed and produced by Melvin Van Peebles, who also stars as the central character Sweetback. Police violence and racism in America are central themes of the film, and Van Peebles funded the film himself because no studio wanted to finance it. The film tells the story of Sweetback, a poor Black man who is falsely arrested, along with a Black Panther member Mu-Mu, for the murder of another Black man. Sweetback and Mu-Mu escape from police custody and attempt to evade arrest, and ultimately Sweetback is able to escape to Mexico. This ending shocked contemporary Black audiences because Sweetback is not killed by police, but survives. Despite having a budget of only $150,000, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song went on to take $15.2 million at the box office. The Black Panther Party in particular celebrated the film's revolutionary message and made it required viewing for their members.
Lady Sings the Blues, dir. Sidney J. Furie. 1972.
Lady Sings the Blues is a 1972 American musical biopic about jazz singer Billie Holiday. The film is loosely based on Holiday’s 1956 autobiography, and stars Diana Ross in her feature film debut. For her performance as Holiday, Ross was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and also won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer and the NAACP award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
The Mack, dir. Michael Campus. 1973.
Premiering in 1973, The Mack is an American Blaxploitation crime film starring Black actors Max Julien, Richard Pryor and Roger E. Mosley. Set in Oakland, California, the film follows Goldie (Julien) who returns home after a five year prison sentence with a plan to achieve money and power by becoming a pimp. His brother (Mosley), however, has chosen a different path, and instead has become involved with Black Nationalism and community activism. The Mack primarily screened in mostly Black communities due to a belief that white audiences would not be interested, but despite its low distribution the film’s director Michael Campus has pointed out that in the cities that did hold screenings, it outgrossed The Godfather which was released at the same time.
The Spook Who Sat by the Door, dir. Ivan Dixon. 1973.
Adapted from Sam Greenlee’s 1969 novel of the same name, The Spook Who Sat by the Door is a 1973 action crime film directed by Black actor, director and producer Ivan Dixon. The narrative focuses on Dan Freeman (Lawrence Cook) who is enlisted by the CIA into their espionage program. Freeman realises that he has essentially become their token Black officer, he quits the program and instead, using the CIA warfare techniques he has learnt, he turns his focus to training young Black men living in inner-city Chicago to be “Freedom Fighters”. A documentary about the making of the film was released in 2011, titled Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat By the Door, and in 2012 the documentary won the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Documentary.
Cooley High, dir. Michael Schultz. 1975.
Written by Eric Monte and directed by Michael Schultz, Cooley High is an American independent coming-of-age comedy. Set in Chicago, it follows best friends Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Glynn Turman) and his best friend, Richard "Cochise" Morris (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) in the final weeks of their senior year. The film was one of the top 30 highest-grossing films of 1975, and was met with critical acclaim. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Kevin Thomas praised the film for showing “what the black film can be when creative talents are given an opportunity free of the strong sex and violence requirements of the exploitation formulae.”
The Brother from Another Planet, dir. John Sayles. 1984.
Watch the full film on YouTube.
Shot on location in Harlem, New York with a predominantly Black cast and crew, The Brother from Another Planet is a 1984 low-budget science fiction film. The film centres on a mute alien called The Brother (Joe Morton) who crashes his space ship on Ellis Island. The Brother appears as a Black man, and also at first appears to be homeless because he has no clothes, and director John Sayles has described the film as exploring the immigrant experience of cultural assimilation in America.
Nice, dir. Michael Hayes. 1984.
Watch the full film on BFI Player.
Starring acclaimed Guyanese actor Norman Beaton, and written by Mustapha Matura, Nice is a short television film that first aired in 1984. The film consists of a monologue performed by Beaton in which he plays a "nice" and comedic West Indian migrant.
The Color Purple, dir. Steven Spielberg. 1985.
Adapted from Alice Walker’s 1982 novel of the same name, Steven Speilberg’s The Color Purple is an American period drama that tells the coming-of-age story of Celie Harris (Whoopi Goldberg), an African American teenager. The film is set in early 20th century rural Georgia, and explores the themes of racism, child sexual abuse, domestic violence and poverty. The film was widely praised, and in 1986 Whoopi Goldberg won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture for her role as Celie, which was her feature film debut. However, many argued that The Color Purple should have had a Black director because a white director like Spielberg was too far removed from the film’s source material, while the NAACP accused the film of “stereotypical portrayals of black males”, a charge it was not alone in making.
Soul Man, dir. Steve Miner. 1986.
Released in 1986, Soul Man is an American comedy that tells the story of Mark Watson (C. Thomas Howell), the son of a wealthy family who pretends to be Black in order to qualify for a scholarship and study law at Harvard. Watson’s ignorant beliefs that Black people are not discriminated against are soon met with the reality of racism in America as Watson experiences racial discrimination firsthand and witnesses the prejudice and economic hardship faced by his fellow students of colour. Upon release, the film was met with controversy due to the use of make-up to make the white actor playing Watson Black, which was described as Blackface. The NAACP and an African American student group at UCLA also criticised the film, while some screenings of Soul Man were met with protests and pickets.
School Daze, dir. Spike Lee. 1988.
Written and directed by Spike Lee, School Daze is an American musical comedy based in part on Lee’s own experiences as a student at the historically Black Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia in the 1980s. The film explores themes of colourism, class, economic inequality, political activism and sexism within the Black community. Lee stars in the film alongside Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito and Tisha Campbell.
Do the Right Thing, dir. Spike Lee. 1989.
Released in 1989, Do the Right Thing is an American comedy produced, directed and written by Spike Lee who also stars in the film. Set in a Brooklyn neighbourhood, the film explores racial tensions between African American residents and local Italian Americans that eventually erupt into clashes and mob violence. The film was nominated for several Academy Award nominations including Best Original Screenplay, and in 1991 the Library of Congress selected Do the Right Thing to be included in the National Film Registry because of its cultural and historical significance. There were some criticisms of the film, including that it could incite Black audiences to riot, but Lee has noted that these remarks only came from white reviewers and that similar charges were not directed towards white audiences after watching violent films featuring actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Daughters of the Dust, dir. Julie Dash. 1991.
Written, directed and produced by Julie Dash, Daughters of the Dust is the first feature film directed by an African American woman to have a theatrical release in America. Set in South Carolina in 1902, the film is an independent period drama that explores three generations of Gulla women who are torn between staying in their island community or moving North. The Peazant family’s ancestors were originally brought to St. Simons Island as enslaved people, and now the communities on these islands have developed a unique culture and language known as Gullah or Sea Island Creole English. Within the film, the characters speak entirely in Gullah dialect. Upon release, Daughters of the Dust was met with critical acclaim, and in 1991 Arthur Jafa won the Excellence in Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival. In 1992, Dash co-authored a book about the film with Toni Cade Bambara and bell hooks titled Daughters of the Dust: The Making of an African American Woman's Film.
Boyz n the Hood, dir. John Singleton. 1991.
Boyz n the Hood is the feature film debut of John Singleton, who wrote and directed this 1991 coming-of-age crime film that is also characterised as a Hood film. Set in South Central Los Angeles, the film follows Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr) as he moves in with his father Furious Styles (Laurence Fishburne), reunites with his childhood friends and is confronted with the neighbourhood’s growing gang culture. The film also features Ice Cube in his film debut, while the title references Eazy-E’s rap song ‘Boyz-n-the-Hood’ which was written by Ice Cube. In 1992, Singleton received Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, and became the youngest person and the first African American to be nominated for Best Director.
Flight of the Swan, dir. Ngozi Onwurah. 1992.
Watch the full film on BFI Player.
Directed by British-Nigerian film director Ngozi Onwurah, Flight of the Swan is a short film that follows a young Black ballerina who leaves her Nigerian village to pursue her dreams of performing as the lead in Swan Lake. She attends a ballet school in England and has to contend with racial prejudice in order to realise her dream.
Malcolm X, dir. Spike Lee. 1992.
Malcolm X is an independent American biopic directed by Spike Lee that tells the story of African American activist and revolutionary, Malcolm X. The film is largely based on Alex Haley’s The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965), and Malcolm X's widow, Dr. Betty Shabazzand, also served as a consultant to the film. The film stars Denzel Washington in the title role alongside Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman Jr., and Delroy Lindo. Cameo appearances are also made by Nelson Mandela, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panthers Party. Lee was brought on to the project following backlash that the film did not have a Black director, and in the lead up to the film’s release Lee caused controversy by requesting that media outlets send Black journalists to interview him, believing that Black writers would have more insight into Malcolm X. Though some Black nationalists were worried about Lee’s portrayal of Malcolm X and even protested the choice of Lee as director, the film proved to be incredibly successful and is considered to be one of the best biopics of all time.
Juice, dir. Ernest R. Dickerson. 1992.
Released in 1992, the American crime thriller Juice is the directorial debut of Ernest R. Dickerson, a frequent collaborator with Spike Lee. The film follows four Black youths, played by Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine Hopkins, and Khalil Kain, as they grow up in Harlem and explores the themes of family life in New York city, gang rivalries and police harassment and violence.
Menace II Society, dir. Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes. 1993.
Directed by the Hughes Brothers in their directorial debut, Menace II Society is a 1993 American teen crime drama that gained notoriety for its visceral portrayal of urban violence. The narrative takes place in Los Angeles and follows Caine Lawson (Tyrin Turner) and his experiences with gun violence, drugs and crime, and concludes with his death as he is fatally wounded in a drive-by shootout. In 1994, the film won Best Movie at the MTV Movie Awards.
Sankofa, dir. Haile Gerima. 1993.
Written and directed by Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima, Sankofa is a 1993 Ethiopian-produced drama that explores the Atlantic slave trade. The title takes its name from the Akan word from Ghana “sankofa” which means to “go back and get it”, and relates to the idea of gaining wisdom and hope from the past to build a better future. In the film, Sankofa (Kofi Ghanaba) is an elderly Divine Drummer who encourages modern day African American model Mona (Oyafunmike Ogunlano) to explore and engage with her ancestral roots. Mona is transported through time and experiences enslavement, life on an American plantation and slave rebellions. The African Cinema Festival lauded the film and awarded it the grand prize.
White Men Are Cracking Up, dir. Ngozi Onwurah. 1994.
Watch the full film on BFI Player.
Written by American and British playwright Bonnie Greer and directed by British-Nigerian film director Ngozi Onwurah, White Men Are Cracking Up is a short film that explores the fetishisation of Black women and white male insecurity.
Bad Boys, dir. Michael Bay. 1995.
Bad Boys is a 1995 American action comedy starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as Miami narcotics detectives. The plot draws on archetypal tropes from the buddy-cop genre as it centres on Detective Sergeant Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Detective Sergeant Mike Lowrey (Smith) and their investigation into an international drug ring. Though the film saw mixed reviews, it proved to be a global commercial hit and to date there have been three sequels, Bad Boys II (2003), Bad Boys for Life (2020), and Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024).
Dead Presidents, dir. Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes. 1995.
Co-written, directed and produced by the Hughes Brothers, Dead Presidents is a 1995 American crime film partly based on the real-life experiences of Vietnam veteran Haywood T. Kirkland. The film centres on Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate), following his life from high school, to his experiences as a marine in the Vietnam war, and his struggles returning to the Bronx after the war.
Higher Learning, dir. John Singleton. 1995.
Written and directed by John Singleton, Higher Learning is a 1995 American crime drama that explores the struggles of three freshmen students at a fictional Columbus University. Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube and Tyra Banks are among the film’s stars, and in 1996 Fishburne won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.
Panther, dir. Mario Van Peebles. 1995.
Melvin Van Peebles’s novel Panther chronicles the rise and decline of the Black Panther Party, and in 1995 it was adapted into a film of the same name produced and directed by Mario Van Peebles. Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, criticised the film, stating that it was “80 percent to 90 percent” inaccurate.
Waiting to Exhale, dir. Forest Whitaker. 1995.
Adapted from Terry McMillan’s 1992 novel of the same name, the 1995 American romantic comedy Waiting to Exhale is Forest Whitaker’s directorial debut. The film features an all-Black cast including Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett and follows the friendships and romantic relationships of four friends as they grapple with life’s ups and downs. The soundtrack to the film comprises songs exclusively by Black female artists, including songs by Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige and Brandy. Upon its release, Waiting to Exhale received mixed reviews, but the film went on to win several NAACP Image Awards including Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Soundtrack and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture for Angela Bassett’s performance.
The Watermelon Woman, dir. Cheryl Dunye. 1996.
Written, directed, produced and starring Cheryl Dunye, The Watermelon Woman is a 1996 independent American romantic comedy, and it is also the first feature film directed by an out Black lesbian. Dunye stars as a young Black lesbian with a day job working in a video store while also making a film about Fae Richards, a Black actor known for her roles as “mammy” characters in the 1930s. Upon its release it received positive reviews, although it was criticised for its inclusion of a lesbian sex scene. In 2021, the Library of Congress selected The Watermelon Woman for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, and in the same year the film also received a Cinema Eye Honors Legacy Award.
The Green Mile, dir. Frank Darabont. 1999.
Based on Stephen King’s 1996 novel of the same name, The Green Mile is an American fantasy drama released in 1999. The plot centres on the death row section of Cold Mountain Penitentiary in the 1930s, and follows prison guard Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) and his supernatural experiences that begin after the arrival of a new convict, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan). The film was a commercial and critical success and received four Academy Award nominations. Though the film didn’t win at the Oscars, Michael Clarke Duncan later won a Black Reel Award, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor.
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