Rodney King (2017)

IMDb plot summary: Roger Guenveur Smith performs his one man show focusing on the life and times of Rodney King.

Directed by Spike Lee. Stars Roger Guenveur Smith.

Rodney King is a filmed spoken word performance piece, directed by Spike Lee. This one-man show stars Roger Guenveur Smith as he dissects the life, death, and legacy of Rodney King. I was so young when King's beating and the aftermath happened, that my primary reference point for it was pop culture references years later. This is definitely, as I said, a spoken word performance rather than a play. There is deliberate poetry with the choice of words and cadence. Smith is an electric performer, embodying all these different characters in really engaging ways, and putting together a really compelling and occasionally gut-punching exploration of this story. Not necessarily something I'd revisit, but it was well done. And, truly, I love that Spike Lee does weird things like this and Passing Strange. Heck yes, find these marvelous performance pieces from the Black community and get them preserved so that these are available for people later. I just really appreciate that that is something that he has decided to do with his career.

🎥 Rodney King (2017)

📊 Ranked #1945/4211 on my Flickchart

🎯 Flickscore™: 54

beat In the Mood for Love (#2140 → #2141)

lost to Re-Animator (held at #1101)

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beat The Fixer (#2011 → #2012)

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lost to Batman (held at #1943)

beat Toy Story 4 (#1945 → #1946)