Get On The Bus

Lee does what he does best in this story about bus load of black brothers heading from LA to Washington to attend the Million Man March, convened by Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan, a self-avowed black racist on Oct. 16, 1995. Shot on video and 16mm with money raised from wealthy Afro-Americans like Will Smith and Wesley Snipes and with a script attributed to Reggie Rock Bythewood it uses the different characters to articulate a raft of black voices, voices which are often conflictual, even wrong-headed, but, as is equally so often the case with Lee, brought into focus by the director's own strong moral message (and with a couple of typically self-referential jokes thrown in for good measure). Whilst some might criticize the film as merely presenting a roster of stereotypes, the excellent cast, a mix of knowns and unknowns (at least to me) imbue the script with liveliness and the result is vibrant, entertaining ride where form is well matched to content. BH

 

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