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Captures the energy of the community well – although this is also a weakness of the film
This short documentary is really just a snapshot of a community of African-American bikers who come together in South Carolina to party and show off their motorcycles. As such it doesn't propose to go deep into the people and their lives so much as simply capture the place and the time. In doing this the film is both stronger but also opens itself to weakness, albeit weakness which is not wholly of its own making.
The strengths first; these come from the professional shooting of the bikers, with nice mobile shots, good contributions and generally a well edited and slick package. Not too much is said beyond "we're here to have fun" and the like, but the range of people saying it gives the film energy and it does feel like a positive and fun event. The downside of the film is that in capturing snapshots without depth, the film does also capture the sides of the community that appear negative. To me specifically this is in the use of women as objects because we get lots of shots of black women in tiny shorts handing off the back of motorbikes, or twerking while strangers film it on their phones (or slap it as they walk by) or generally suggesting their role in the community is to be sexual for the pleasure of others. This is not the film's aim but in capturing the community honestly and without a filter, this side of it is captured.
To give the film its due, we do get time given over to woman bikers who are not in this mould – but it is not forced down our throat so much as just another set of bikers making a contribution; this at least balances out some of the negatives of the film (which are really negatives of the culture and not just Black Bike Week culture). It is superficial but it works as a skimming of the community, giving a taste of the spirit and energy of the event and the people – this approach has inherent weaknesses of course but if you meet it as it is intended then it is distracting and energetic.
The strengths first; these come from the professional shooting of the bikers, with nice mobile shots, good contributions and generally a well edited and slick package. Not too much is said beyond "we're here to have fun" and the like, but the range of people saying it gives the film energy and it does feel like a positive and fun event. The downside of the film is that in capturing snapshots without depth, the film does also capture the sides of the community that appear negative. To me specifically this is in the use of women as objects because we get lots of shots of black women in tiny shorts handing off the back of motorbikes, or twerking while strangers film it on their phones (or slap it as they walk by) or generally suggesting their role in the community is to be sexual for the pleasure of others. This is not the film's aim but in capturing the community honestly and without a filter, this side of it is captured.
To give the film its due, we do get time given over to woman bikers who are not in this mould – but it is not forced down our throat so much as just another set of bikers making a contribution; this at least balances out some of the negatives of the film (which are really negatives of the culture and not just Black Bike Week culture). It is superficial but it works as a skimming of the community, giving a taste of the spirit and energy of the event and the people – this approach has inherent weaknesses of course but if you meet it as it is intended then it is distracting and energetic.
- bob the moo
- Feb 15, 2014
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- Runtime8 minutes
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