Movie review
November 25, 2020 · 93 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a 2020 Netflix drama adapted from August Wilson's 1982 play. It follows blues singer Ma Rainey and her band during a tense 1927 Chicago recording session with white producers. The narrative centers on racial power struggles, Black pride, and Ma Rainey's unapologetic bisexuality with visible scenes involving her girlfriend and bi-themed lyrics. Queer identity and critiques of white exploitation drive key character arcs and conflicts.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
Woke representation / casting
prominent queer representation with Ma Rainey's visible girlfriend and bisexual elements
Woke political dialogue
dialogue focuses on racial exploitation by white producers
Identity-driven story themes
Black identity and queer identity drive the story and character arcs
Western institutional / cultural critique
depicts white music industry as exploitative of Black creativity
Woke character or canon changes
Production
film expands queer elements beyond the original play and adds a scene showing exploitation outcome
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
some conservative reviews criticize it as pushing systemic racism and identity politics; no major backlash
Creator track record context
director George C. Wolfe has a track record of Black and LGBTQ projects
