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Filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles
Photo: Francois Durand / Getty Images
Filmmaker, playwright and musician Melvin Van Peebles died at his Manhattan home at the age of 89.
This was announced by his family.
“Dad knew black pictures were important.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what was a film worth? ”Said his son Mario Van Peebles, also an actor and director.
Melvin Van Peebles' work initiated the "blaxploitation" wave of the 1970s and influenced filmmakers long afterwards, which is why the all-rounder was sometimes referred to as the "godfather of modern black cinema". By exaggerating exploitative conditions, often of a violent or sexual nature, from the perspective of the black population, blaxploitation films marked a turning point in the perception of the balance of power. Some of them were interpreted as trash, others as cultural visions. “True liberation didn't mean imitating the colonizer's mentality. It meant appreciating the strength, beauty and interconnectedness of all people, ”said Mario Van Peebles about his father's attitude.
Melvin Van Peebles said in a 1972 New York Times Magazine interview that he wanted to counter the misrepresentation of blacks used by white people "to confuse, empty and colonize our minds."
Films from the perspective of the exploited
Van Peebles wrote numerous books and plays and recorded several albums, played several instruments and provided rap-style lyrics.
He later became a successful options trader on the stock exchange.
In 2021 it was announced that four of his productions would be released in the classic film collection Criterion Collection.
Born as Melvin Peebles in Chicago on August 21, 1932, he later added a "van" to his name. In 1953 he graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University. After three years in the military, he moved to Mexico and worked as a portrait painter, then moved to San Francisco, where he wrote short stories and made short films. Van Peebles went to Hollywood but was only offered a job as a studio elevator operator. Disappointed, he moved to Holland and began postgraduate studies in astronomy, then to Paris, where he wrote several novels. His first major success was the directing and film music for "Watermelon Man" in 1968.
Van Peeble's breakthrough came with the film "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" in 1971, one of the most influential films of its time. He wrote the script for the low-budget film, produced and directed it and starred as an actor. The film tells the hypersexual and violent story of a black call boy fleeing the police after killing white police officers.
The film depicts life in the ghetto in a tough way, but underlines this with a message of empowerment from a black perspective.
He set the tone for a genre that spawned dozens of films over the next several years.
"All previous films about black people have been told in their rhythm, their language and their pace with the eyes of the Anglo-Saxon majority," said Melvin Van Peebles when "Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song" appeared.
Hollywood recognized a new target group
Produced for around $ 500,000 (including $ 50,000 by Bill Cosby), the film grossed $ 14 million at the box office despite being 18 and over, limited distribution, and mixed reviews. The New York Times accused Van Peebles of monetizing social injustice and called the film “an outrage”. After the resounding success, Hollywood tried to target black audiences and began to produce box office hits like "Shaft" and "Superfly", top musicians like Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye were hired for the soundtracks.
Melvin Van Peebles was not happy about that.
Many of the Hollywood versions were exaggerated detective stories that showed black people as pimps and drug dealers.
“Hollywood suppressed the political message and added cartoons.
Blaxploitation was born, ”said Van Peebles in 2002.“ The colored intelligence wasn't too happy about it. ”Filmmakers are still influenced by the“ Blaxploitation ”genre, including US director Quentin Tarantino with films such as the Oscar-winning“ Django Unchained ”( 2012) or "Jackie Brown" (1997).
On Wednesday, a younger generation of black filmmakers mourned the death of Van Peebles.
"Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins wrote on Twitter: "He made the most of every second, of EVERY damn frame."
After his success, Van Peebles received many directorial offers, but he decided to keep his independence.
"I'll only work with them on my terms," he said.
“I whipped the ass of the rulers on their own lawn.
I'm number one at the box office - this is how America measures things - and I did it on my own.
Now they want me, but I'm in no hurry. "
Van Peebles then got involved on Broadway, writing and producing several plays and musicals.
He later wrote the film "Greased Lighting" with Richard Pryor as Wendell Scott, the first black racing driver.
In the 1980s, Van Peebles turned to Wall Street and options trading and wrote a guide to financial self-help.
For the 50th anniversary of "Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song", the film will be shown again this year at the New York Film Festival.
A revival of his play "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death" is due to be released next year on Broadway, with Mario Van Peebles as producer.
cpa / AP / dpa
