GET ON UP
US, 2014, 139 minutes, Colour.
Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Ackroyd, Viola Davis, Lenny James, Craig Robinson, Octavia Spencer, Tika Sumpter, Aunjanue Ellis.
Directed by Tate Taylor.
Get on Up is a movie portrait of the celebrated soul-singer, James Brown. He is played with great energy by Chadwick Boseman (who had the opportunity to portray another African- American icon on screen, baseball player of the 1940s, Jackie Robinson, in the film, 42).
This is a film for those interested in the popular music scene of the 20th century, especially in the United States and its influence beyond. James Brown was born in 1932 and died in 2006, his career spanning the second half of the 20th century.
Get on Up opens with a number of sequences over the time of Brown’s life, a bizarre episode at a consultant’s meeting in 1988 (later taken up and developed, a significant moment in Brown’s life), an awkward interview with a less-than-savvy white interviewer, as well as his going to Vietnam to perform for the troops in 1968. Then it is back to the 1930s and scenes from Brown’s childhood.
Some audiences have found this difficult, the moving frequently from one time period to another, with captions providing information about dates but with references to Brown’s song’s and their success. But the juxtaposition of episodes is a way of providing explanation of behaviour over the decades. There is also a difficulty for some audiences in trying to pick up all the dialogue of the film, especially that of Brown himself, with his Georgia accent and his rather harsh and screeching voice tone.
However, audiences will be able to put together, even though it is given piecemeal, the narrative of Brown’s life and career. He had a particularly harsh childhood, living with his mother (Viola Davis in another interesting and different performance), his father away for work but, on his return, a violent man who drives away his wife and will not let his son go with her. James learns something of music from his father, but eventually he is sent into town to live with his Aunt Honey (Octavia Spencer). One of the influences in this part of his life is going to church, hearing the music, experiencing the rhythms, movement and dancing, and being encouraged to develop his music. There is another powerful sequence where eight young boys are blindfolded, one hand behind their back, commanded to fight to the end – while the affluent whites watch from their balconies and a formally-dressed band plays.
By the 1950s, James is part of a band, taking every opportunity (even from Little Richard having a break during performance) to perform for the public. Brown is not a blushing violet, taking every opportunity to promote his band and himself, and had a talent for the business side. This leads to an audition, the making of an acetate record, being introduced to the King Recording company, being taken on by one of their agents, Pop (Dan Aykroyd), who persuades the boss who doesn’t understand Brown’s music, expecting verses and chorus for the definition of a song. The main crisis, as with any outstanding individual performer, is a company wanting him to perform without his backup and band. His closest friend, Bobby Byrd (Nelsan Ellis) does stay with him until it finally becomes impossible.
Brown’s personal life is rather in the background, marriage and children, a roving eye, divorce, a second marriage, more children.
The important thing, of course, is the music, the range of songs and lyrics, the particular style, not only singing but agility in dance rhythms, characteristic of him himself and his backup singers. The screenplay traces the years, the decades, highlighting a number of songs and their contribution to Brown and his success, his concerts, his growing audiences, his influence on younger musicians and singers. There is a scene where he performs in Paris in 1981 – which is also the time when Bobby Bird has had enough and leaves him, commenting that he has always been alone.
The concert in Boston, and whether it should go on or not, after the death of Martin Luther King, shows Brown’s intelligence and shrewdness, quite an affecting sequence.
Audiences may remember that Brown spent some time in prison – and that is the situation for the 1988 encounter with the people at a meeting, Brown firing a rifle shot, driving off and being chased by police, and eventually finishing up in jail.
The film ends more peacefully with a reconciliation with Bobby Bird and his wife and information that Brown kept performing until his death, into his 70s.
There have been a number of dramatic films about African- American musicians, including Clint Eastwood’s 1988 Bird, about Charlie Parker, and Taylor Hackford’s 2004 Ray, about Ray Charles.
1. For audiences like 20th-century popular? Black? Soul? The response to the music?James Brown, audiences liking him, knowledge about him, interest in him? His being always called Mr Brown? As a person, his life story, his career, the impact on music and performance? In the US, beyond?
2. The title and the tone, James Brown’s words?
3. The structure: opening at the concert in 1993, the Vietnam sequence, the white woman journalist and her interview, the episode in the office, the woman going to the toilet? Seeing James as a child? The titles throughout the film naming the year and the songs? Confusing for audiences? The presentation of the story in piecemeal, providing explanations with the insertion of the different times and indications of Brown’s career?
4. The Georgia backwoods, the town of the 1930s? Moving across the United States: concerts, the venues, recordings, offices, hotels, Brown’s businesses? The death of Martin Luther King and the concert in Boston? The concert in Paris? Brown and his turn in the office, the car chase, the gun, going to prison? The way that the screenplay built up Brown’s character?
5. The musical score, Brown’s songs, over the decades, rehearsals, performances, the rhythms, infectious, audience responses? The origins of Brown’s musical talent, black Americans, the evangelical churches and the music, his personal imprint, singing in clubs, making the record, at Little Richard’s club, the concerts, the cumulative effect? The final song, sung for Bobby Byrd, I Need You and Byrd’s response?
6. Boyhood, his mother chasing him in the woods, the father returning from work, the reaction, the sexual response, his father and his violence, the beatings, his mother leaving, wanting to take James, the father shooting, her going off alone? James of the table with his father’s singing, his father’s violent reaction, James’s determination, going to the town, in the care of Aunt Honey, his work, the club, the atmosphere of a brothel? The contrast with church, the music, his dancing, the pastor and his recognising the gifts? Other flashbacks, lining up of the eight boys, blindfolding them, one hand free, the fights to the winner, James’s number 1? The whites in the mansion watching, the black band playing? The effect on James?
7. As young man, 22 or 23, his friendship with Bobby Bird, the other players, taking Little Richard’s place, Richard’s response, flipping burgers and giving James advice? In the diner, avoiding the law officers, finding that it was a recording scout? Going to the studio, the meeting with Pop? Their singing Please? Head of King Records not understanding it, Pop explaining that it was not the song with verses and chorus but feeling? The boss trying the attempt at the Potato Mash, explaining that he was at good business, and James with music? James and his interest in the business side of things, the discussions with Pop, James and his financial shrewdness? Yet his difficulties with taxes and the consequences, especially paying the members of the band?
8. The band, the members, their characters, plain, together, travelling, the rhythms? The recordings? Meeting at the office, the boss, Pop, James sitting at the table, his stand-alone status? Their leaving?
9. Bobby Byrd, friendship, working with James, staying, knowing his limits, his marriage to Vicky and happiness? The tensions over the years, Brown’s attitudes, patronising? Paris, Bobby Byrd walking out, after imagining that he could be a top-liner? Saying that Brown was always alone? Brown later visiting, the irony of the white company cleaning the pool? The concert of 1993, Bobby and Vicki present, the song dedicated to him? The final credits and the indication that they work together after this?
10. Brown, his marrying, children, in the background, looking at his second wife from the stage? Marriage, the Santa Claus sequence and the man ogling his wife? The return home, his punching her? Her luxury? The children, his pride in his son?
11. The Vietnam concert, in the plane, his bravado, the explosions, the landing with the engine on fire? The officer, dictating how long the concert should go, Brown’s asserting himself?
12. The death of Martin Luther King, the mayor of Boston, Brown wanting the concert to go on, Pop and his negotiations? The motivation, the concert itself, the African- Americans united? The young men getting on the stage, the police pushing them off? Brown stopping this, talking about freedom, unity, calming people down, the men going back into the audience? His talent in making this concert a political success?
13. Pop, the death on the golf course, Brown at his funeral, his grief, continually shovelling the dirt in the coffin?
14. Paris, international success?
15. The gaps in the years? Audiences supplying an interpretation, success, the interview with the white journalist, asking what he ate, handing over the interview to Bobby Byrd?
16. 1988, coming to the office, his enterprises? His performance, firing the gun, people on the floor, asking who went to the toilet, his bizarre interpretation, the fear of the woman? Getting into the car, the police chase, crashing through, his being arrested, in prison?
17. Brown in his 60s, going to visit Bobby Byrd, something of a reconciliation?
18. The information given in the final credits, Brown dying in 2006?
19. The film’s contribution to people understanding how significant an influence Brown was with his music, singing, his performance, dancing steps, the Godfather of Soul?
