A story of forbidden love, ambition and racial hatred finally comes to screen 27 years after it was written...
Director: Tyler Perry
Starring: Joshua Boone, Amirah Vann, Solea Pfeiffer
Running time: 127 minutes
You may know Tyler Perry as the creator of the no-nonsense matriarch Madea, the director of several films and TV shows and the first African American to independently own a studio. But, this time, he reintroduces himself as director and writer of a romantic historical drama that he’s waited almost thirty years to make.
Set in the Deep South, rural Georgia, in 1940, A Jazzman’s Blues begins as a teen drama when a couple is torn apart. Lighter-skinned Leanne (Solea Pfeiffer), who later actually ‘passes’ for white, is sent to live up north after her shunned musician lover, Bayou (Joshua Boone), proposes to her. When she leaves the community, Bayou continues with his life but there is always a part of her that remains with him.
So, when she eventually returns in the arms of a successor of a political authority, it shocks the community. However, nothing stops the pair from rekindling their prior romantic affair.
Events don’t remain blissful for long, as Leanne’s disgruntled mother, who sent her away at the beginning, discovers the renewed relationship. In fact, she goes further and spills a lie that forces Bayou to leave for Chicago, along with his older brother.
A film almost three decades in the making is sure to capture the hearts of many
Just like Leanne, Bayou is tempted back home, and the couple rekindle their relationship once again. The star-crossed lovers form a plan to skip town again, this time with each other and a baby in their group.
This sprawling tale is crammed to the max with emotional romance, combined with plenty of socio-political undertones. Perry’s movie tackles racial hate and the phenomenon of Black people passing as white with a charged emotion that Rebecca Hall’s 2021 Passing lacked. It also includes an added murder-mystery layer that keeps audiences thrillingly absorbed.
Admittedly, everything about this film is absorbing. The cast give confined, understated performances. The locations of each scene are filmed entirely in Georgia, specifically in Savannah and Atlanta, and are visually stunning. The score is serene thanks to Perry roping in the multi-Grammy Award-winning jazz composer Terence Blanchard, a long-time collaborator with Spike Lee. The scenes are well-paced throughout and, although he never makes a surprise appearance, Perry’s extensive talent shines through.
A film almost three decades in the making is sure to capture the hearts of many of its audience, and is the perfect plot twist in Tyler Perry’s career. Can we expect bigger and better from the Madea maker?
Did you know? At the time of writing the film almost thirty years ago, Perry was flat broke. During an intermission of August Wilson’s play Seven Guitars, Perry snuck in for free. With a lot of luck, he ended up meeting the legendary playwright, Wilson, after the performance. Wilson gave him some life-changing advice, encouraging him to write what was in his heart. Perry went home and began writing A Jazzman’s Blues that very night.
A Jazzman’s Blues is now available on Netflix
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