History biopics gives audiences a chance to get emotionally attached to a time in which they may not be privy. The upcoming Jackie Robinson movie 42, may do just that, well, that’s if it’s depicted the correct way because Hollywood has been getting several complaints lately regarding their biopics. That’s another story!
42, which is the upcoming Jackie Robinson movie, has a new film poster that recently hit the internet. The poster shows Robinson as he slide to home base with his fist pumped and his face grimaced. Which could blindly signify getting the moviegoers pumped to go out and see the film. Anyhow, 42 is based on the true story of Jackie Robinson, played by Chadwick Boseman, as he struggles to gain acceptance after breaking Major League Baseball’s color line when he’s signed to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
In the film, Nicole Beharie play Robinson’s widow, Rachel Robinson. Harrison Ford co-stars as Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers manager who made history by signing the first black player ever in Major League Baseball.
42 is slated to hit theaters April 12, 2013 and the new poster is below:
Surely I’m not the first to notice that while at first glance, the photo is of Jackie Robinson, at closer examination, the vertical layout allows Jackie to be shown climbing over a white wall or barrier. Fantastic graphic design work by whoever did this art. The symbolism is not lost on me, and I’m surprised who many have missed it.
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Honestly, I get the symbolism. With it beating me over the head it’s kind of hard not to get it. But to me it looks like Jackie Robinson falling off a mountain after grasping for- and missing -his rope. It makes me chuckle because of how stupid and over the top this all is.
If you want to do the man justice, show what he did as accurately as possible. What he did was hard enough in that time period and for you to turn him into this cartoon titan punching out injustice and roaring triumphantly as he shatters inequality, it just mocks him.
It’s like the Lincoln movie making it this life-long journey with the single minded purpose of ending slavery. Ugh, the North was getting rid of slavery due to morals and couldn’t economically compete with the south, so they made it federal law. Most of the people in the south were willing to give up slavery but it would bankrupt them and spread mass poverty. What’s our stereotype of southerners again? Oh yeah, dirt poor, uneducated, and morally ambiguous. The Civil War was fought over lots of reasons MOST ECONOMIC.
So, here’s the tribute to Jackie Robinson and I already feel tired. Will they show him as the respectable person he was or will there be cartoonish villains constantly dogging him and ultimately leading to some sports victory that somehow changed the people’s perception of equality. Look, Jackie Robinson got attention with sports and won them over when they looked closer and found a really truly great human being underneath their flawed expectations. That’s how hearts and minds are changed, slowly and diplomatically.
If you’re going to build this guy up to some angelic messiah figure why not go whole hog? Get Micheal Bay to direct and have Jackie Robinson kick the leader of the KKK in the nuts, then shoot lasers out his eyes that somehow eradicates only racism. Or, you know do the film right…….