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| Photo Credit: Tatum Mangus/Annapurna Pictures |
When beginning The
Interiors of Man six years ago, I
acknowledged James Baldwin as a possible muse, having read his works over the
years and living with the constructs of his voice, talent, and ability to
express humanity in various measures.
Among the novels
Baldwin has written, If Beale Street Could Talk was a quiet gem with cultural relevance, addressing the incarceration
epidemic and inadvertently addressing the state of black love as it stands
today in comparison to the past.
As the first director
to bring Baldwin’s words to film, Barry Jenkins has unveiled an image of black
love that is drowning amidst intra-racial violence, crime, and cultural
assaults within the black community.
Through Baldwin, Jenkins has turned a lens on sacred, loving relationships
that steer from a fantasy-aesthetic to one that’s organically rooted in
community struggle and family solidarity.
If Baldwin were alive,
I’m sure he would not be alarmed by the current state of “the village,” having had
the insight to foresee its future. The
nurturing love he sowed in this novel through family unity and sacrifice is the
underlying message, which needs tending.
A community cannot survive without love for one’s community, and without
human love the village will perish.
