Nineteen Fifty-Six Vol. 3 Issue 1

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LEAH JONES FILM BLACK LOVE IN Black love in film might not be hard to come by, but the portrayal of Black couples in film is not always ideal. There are a few films that get this portrayal right, but the issue of how Black romance is portrayed in the media is a topic that should be discussed. Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” might be a kid’s movie. However, the portrayal of Black love in films is something that has cemented itself in the hearts of a lot of little Black girls and has become a staple movie in many Black households. The film has a 85% critic rating and a 74% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised the film for its animation and how the film seemed reminiscent of traditional Disney films. “The backgrounds are beautifully drawn. There are sunny days in the French Quarter, spooky nights among live oaks hung with Spanish moss, and a rousing denouement at the Mardi Gras,” said critic Sandra Hall. Mariah Thomas, a senior at The University of Alabama, said that some of her favorite aspects of the film were seeing Tiana find love and achieve her dream of opening a restaurant. Cierra Gilliam, another student at the university, recalled that the film was the first time she saw herself represented in a Disney movie. However, Gilliam said that Tiana being a frog for a majority of the film was disappointing to see. The dynamic between Tiana and Prince Naveen is endearing. Disney’s storytelling techniques, animation and score hold up very well despite it being over 10 years since the film was released. Seeing a young, Black woman slowly fall in love with that standard Disney princess movie formula was something that is not seen very often, especially not in children’s media. Outside of children’s media, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s film “Love & Basketball”, has received lots of love since its release in 2000. Similar to “The Princess and the Frog,” the movie received an 85% critic rating but scored much higher with audiences at a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 14
Thomas said that the movie is her favorite because of the dynamic between the two lead characters, Monica Wright and Quincy McCall. “How they come together in the end is what I enjoy,” Thomas Said. “Because mostly what I’ve seen with Black love and with other movies, there’s always some type of struggle or there’s always some type of issue.” Critic, Ann Hornaday praised the movie for how it handled Black culture and how the characters were portrayed. “Gina Prince-Bythewood has taken the conventional coming-of-age romance genre and invigorated it with such vivid characters and such alertness to the culture she's representing, that she makes what might have been derivative into something brand new,” said Hornaday. Barry Jenkins,’ “If Beale Street Could Talk” is another film where Black love is portrayed positively, despite the bad things happening to the main characters. The movie is based on the book, “If Beale Street Could Talk” by James Baldwin and follows Tish and Alonzo as they try to prove Alonzo’s innocence and navigate their relationship since Alonzo has been arrested, all while Tish is pregnant. Unlike “The Princess and the Frog,” this movie showcases the more tragic side of romance. It does not end with everything ultimately being resolved. Tish and Alonzo still have to battle with Alonzo’s sentence, and Tish is a single mother since Alonzo is in jail. “If Beale Street Could Talk” boasts a much higher critic rating at 91%. However, the audience score is only at a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Hanna Giorgis, a writer for The Atlantic, applauded the film for the depth that it portrayed. “Jenkins's If Beale Street Could Talk is a gorgeous, enveloping film -- and one of its most poignant triumphs is how vividly it captures the depth and complication of intimacy among its black characters,” Giorgis said. However, just because these films have glowing reviews does not mean that Black romance is portrayed fairly in the media. Kenneth Kelly, a student at The University of Alabama, along with Gilliam and Thomas said that Black romance is portrayed unfairly in the media because it focuses too much on negative aspects such as Black women being in abusive relationships. “[Black romance] is always depicting a struggle, there’s always something, whether it’s abuse, fat shaming, it’s always showing the stereotypes of Black relationships and Black family dynamics which isn’t true for the majority,” Gilliam said. According to Gilliam, these movies are also showing younger generations that it is okay to be put in bad romantic relationships because in these movies, no matter what type of abuse is going on, the Black woman defends herself and finds love in the end which is unhealthy to show. All three students agreed that in order to help the portrayal of Black romance in the media become more positive, there needs to be a shift from focusing on the negative aspects of Black love. “I think maybe it shows more of a side of relationships and couples getting through a time together rather than them being in conflict with each other the whole time,” Kelly said. 15
Page 1: NINETEEN Amour Noir FALL 2022
Page 5 and 6: ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS Jolencia
Page 8: FROM THE EDITOR Love, sex and relat
Page 11 and 12: FEATURES 36 KORYNN, A POEM EDITORS
Page 16 and 17: JOLENCIA JONES GENDER ROLES IN THE
Page 18 and 19: Morgan Lewis Monogamy: Dating Life
Page 20 and 21: JOLENCIA JONES ALWAYS and FOREVER M
Page 23 and 24: LIFESTYLE
Page 25: two in the morning just to watch mo
Page 28 and 29: SOPHANA NORVILLE LIVING IN YOUR FIR
Page 30 and 31: 30 TYLER HOGAN INNUENDO
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Page 34 and 35: LEAH JONES HOW POPULAR CULTURE HAS
Page 36: FEATURES
Page 39 and 40: Korynn by Kimora Leggett When they
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Page 43 and 44: Editors’ Playlist 1.) I Will Alwa
Page 45 and 46: and low tones giving us his idiosyn
Page 47 and 48: My A’MYA T. LEWIS FUTURE I hope t
Page 49 and 50: LEAH JONES W O M E N ’ S H E A L
Page 51 and 52: Additionally, “Black women’s ac
Page 53 and 54: 9.“Man, why do you always do that
Page 55 and 56: ensure that people get the treatmen
Page 57 and 58: EXPERIENCES 57
Page 59 and 60: Shamiel Moore How to Make it Out of
Page 61 and 62: the University of Alabama, said.
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MADISON CARMOUCHE COMING OUT IN MY
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M y name is Lindsey Macon. I am 21
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