There is no genre quite like Blaxploitation, is there? Blaxploitation has a unique chronology in that it existed exactly at a time in which filmmakers recognized there should be more African American representation in theaters but also –almost conspiratorially- decided there was no market for black characters who weren’t either pimps or whores. Never mind that African Americans consume film at a far greater rate than their demographic counterparts; only stereotypical and demeaning roles were available to black folks in the golden age of Hollywood.
Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) was little moore than background noise in the early 1970s. Like so many of us, his big dreams were a poor fit for his meager talent. So far in his life, he had parlayed his desire to be known world-wide into three r&b singles no DJ would ever play and a forgettable MC gig. Rudy Ray, however, had an exceptional sense of humor and realized while evicting a loquacious hobo from his place of employment that the bum wasn’t without style. Later that night, Rudy locates the homeless man and essentially buys his stories.
After a small amount of tinkering and a generous amount of blue language, Rudy Ray Moore develops a genuinely entertaining personality, Dolemite. Suddenly a hit among small, taboo-free venues, Moore tried to expand his appeal commercially. And this is where many Americans, especially African Americans, have typically hit a roadblock. Moore was no different; despite his obvious local appeal, there were no legitimate investors, so he pulled an Ed Wood: borrowing $250 from his aunt, he produced his own comedy show album and sold it out of the trunk of his car.
And when the vinyl got too small for his world, the black and blue Ed Wood decided to make a movie, and unless you have a thorough understanding of cinematic history or a serious taste for the obscure, you probably have not seen the anti-Blaxploitation absurdity that is Dolemite.
It’s been years since I considered Eddie Murphy a comic actor. That hasn’t stopped him from making comedies, of course, but I’d sooner laugh at Madea. Dolemite Is My Name is the role Eddie Murphy was born to play; he is absolutely perfect as the aging self-promotion machine Rudy Ray Moore. Even the character of Dolemite seems something out of Murphy’s repertoire; it’s all about rhyming, timing, and blue-language chiming. We also know Eddie’s long obsession with kung fu despite never –to my knowledge- ever having studied the subject. I would bet $10 M -if I had it- that Murphy saw Dolemite as a child and it left something of an impression on him.
Another good performance comes from Wesley Snipes, who I seriously thought was dead. Snipes as Dolemite director and –snicker- Hollywood “insider” D’Urville Martin makes the most of his limited screen time reminding viewers several times why we once cared about his career.
Dolemite Is My Name started a little slow and lasted perhaps a bit longer than it should have. Eddie Murphy gave us a very thorough look at a man who found a career long after it should have ended. This film will probably be dismissed as “too ethnic” or “too raunchy” for most audiences. That would be a mistake. Dolemite Is My Name isn’t genius by any means, but it is a very entertaining reflection upon anyone who has ever dreamed of being a star and had no idea how to get there. At the start of the film, I was distanced upon my reflections of Blaxploitation, but by the end I was as into Dolemite Is My Name as I have been into any film in months. I had no idea Eddie Murphy was still capable of this kind of audience endearment, but I’m so glad he is.
My reviewing is unending creation
Yet not without false expectation
Playing drama for kicks
And unseemly tricks
A classic case of blogsploitation
Rated R, 117 Minutes
Director: Craig Brewer
Writer: Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski
Genre: Exploiting Blaxploitation
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Those who grew up in the Blaxploitation era
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Rednecks
