'Bamboozled' is a great concept, but it doesn't really have strong enough material to sustain a film. I don't know what Spike Lee is trying to convey with this film. 'Bamboozled' isn't social commentary like Lee's other films although it tries to be. What is there to say about these minstrel shows? They were an ugly part of our American past, but they are far from being relevant now. Lee is trying to use them for something and what he is trying to use them for isn't all that clear. White guilt seems to be what is trying to be conveyed, but it isn't all that simple. The show is proposed by a black man named Pierre Delacroix. Is the film about African-Americans looking at this aspect of their past? But it isn't really their past is it? 'Bamboozled' is a really interesting concept for a film. It's the execution of the material that I wasn't all that fond of. I think what should have been done more with it though is to play it for laughs. I kept thinking of Mel Brook's 'The Producers'. In many ways 'Bamboozled' is a successor to that film. Pierre Delacroix wants nothing more to be fired, and instead "Mantan's New Millennium Ministrel Show" becomes a pop culture phenomenon. Lee is very good at playing up the absurdity of the scenario. I had the privilege of seeing this film with an audience in a Theater course. What Lee excels at is playing with the uncomfortably of seeing people in black face. I love the fact that Lee is very careful to show in the taping of "Mantan" that no white audience members laugh until the black audience members do. In ways that is the strongest aspect of the picture. The film becomes less interesting when when it gets smaller.
For starters Pierre Delacroix is a weak character. Damon Wayans is performing a character with a horribly fake voice. He just seems like a skit character and his movements, his postures, and especially his voice seems like a caricature. I thought this may have been a conscious effort to fit in with the freak show mentality of the film, but I don't think so. For the most part Pierre is played pretty straight. I don't think Damon Wayans was right for the role. Perhaps Lee viewed the film as being a comedy, but it isn't comedic enough for Wayans to really offer anything to the character.
This lack of direction plagues the film. The fact is you can't create a plausible world where minstrel shows could become popular in the 21st century. Lee exaggerates reality to the point where it is too far a stretch to take with the semi-serious tone of the film. It has great dark comedy in places, but it also has an unnecessary grim final act. I would look at the material much differently. If all Lee was interested in was attacking the notion of black face than he should have set his film in the olden times. I think the idea of a modern day minstrel show is ripe for satire, but the film is far too self important to pick at the notion. 'Bamboozled' believes it is a serious film, it has serious ideas, but it would work much better as a straight forward comedy. I think this is the kind of material I'd love to see Trey Parker or a Dave Chapelle handle. Lee likes to keep the drama in this hybrid and it hurts the final product and overall it hurts Lee's intent.
For starters Pierre Delacroix is a weak character. Damon Wayans is performing a character with a horribly fake voice. He just seems like a skit character and his movements, his postures, and especially his voice seems like a caricature. I thought this may have been a conscious effort to fit in with the freak show mentality of the film, but I don't think so. For the most part Pierre is played pretty straight. I don't think Damon Wayans was right for the role. Perhaps Lee viewed the film as being a comedy, but it isn't comedic enough for Wayans to really offer anything to the character.
This lack of direction plagues the film. The fact is you can't create a plausible world where minstrel shows could become popular in the 21st century. Lee exaggerates reality to the point where it is too far a stretch to take with the semi-serious tone of the film. It has great dark comedy in places, but it also has an unnecessary grim final act. I would look at the material much differently. If all Lee was interested in was attacking the notion of black face than he should have set his film in the olden times. I think the idea of a modern day minstrel show is ripe for satire, but the film is far too self important to pick at the notion. 'Bamboozled' believes it is a serious film, it has serious ideas, but it would work much better as a straight forward comedy. I think this is the kind of material I'd love to see Trey Parker or a Dave Chapelle handle. Lee likes to keep the drama in this hybrid and it hurts the final product and overall it hurts Lee's intent.