James Baldwin: The Price Of The Ticket

Originally aired on PBS as part of the American Masters series, this excellent biographical documentary of the late James Baldwin, directed with a sure hand by filmmaker Karen Thorsen, presents a remarkably in-depth look at the man, the writer, the teacher--all the various components that went into making James Baldwin one of the most influential black writers of the century. Combining interview footage of the outspoken and often photographed Baldwin with contemporary interviews from his family and peers, the program traces Baldwin's career from his humble beginnings in Harlem, and the publication of his early novels Go Tell It on the Mountain and Giovanni's Room (the first American work of fiction to deal with the subject of homosexuality) to his later involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, and his final years in declining health. Incisive comments from Maya Angelou, Ishmael Reed, and William Styron, among many others, reveal how Baldwin was perceived by his friends and fellow writers; but in the final analysis, it is Baldwin himself who commands center stage. We listen to his words, and watch those big eyes, round and seemingly bottomless, tinged with a dollop of sorrow that beam infinite compassion for suffering humanity, while occasionally flashing the briefest warning...the warning that informed his seminal work on race relations The Fire Next Time. A beautiful film. Highly recommended. (Available from: California Newsreel, 149 9th St., #420, San Francisco, CA 94103.)