Many of the film that were called "blaxsploitation" like Shaft and Super Fly (1972, dir. Gordon Parks, Jr.) haven't really aged that well. Although there's a kitschy appeal to them, I think they're a little cheesy. Ganja & Hess isn't really considered a blaxsploitation film although it came about b/c of blaxsploitation. A successful (and yes, cheesy) blaxsploitation film, Blacula ( dir. William Crain) had been one of the top grossing films of 1972 and b/c Hollywood rarely wants to do anything new, investors set out to make another black vampire movie. They hired Bill Gunn who had other ideas. Ganja & Hess is an experimental film. It is an art film too. And it's about vampires. (Spike Lee, who did the recent remake, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2015), disagrees w/ me about this. You can read my interview w/ Lee here).
As you watch G&H on Tuesday, I'd like you to think about what the film says about:
- Race. What would happen if G&H were played by white people?
- Sex. What do sex and blood have to do w/ each other?
- Gender. What does that story that Ganja tells about snowballs and being hit by her mother have to do w/ the film? Why does she marry Hess after she discovers that he's killed her husband and hidden him in the wine cellar?
- Faith. What is the role of the Christian church in this story?
- Violence. Vampire movies have typically sexualized vampiric feeding, but not this film. Why is it so violent?
A bit of trivia: The director plays George Meda, the tragic and insane assistant who stabs Hess. Duane Jones plays Hess. Many of you will recognize him as the lead in George Romero's classic, Night of the Living Dead (1968).
the movie has used traditional religious iconography to portray good vs evil with a modern twist to it. The role of the Christian church in ganja and Hess was a moral compass for the one of the main characters. Hess realized that all the acts he committed were sinful and probably unredeemable. While ms Meda's acts in her mind were a sign of power, sex and greed she was not leaving that way of life and not even the Christian church was gonna convince her otherwise. Even though this is considered a vampire film I don't see that. Vampirism in books and movies are known for the setting taking place at night and in dark places. Ganja and Hess is a hybrid film in the sense that Hess and Ms Meda are Day walkers.
ReplyDeleteSex and blood correlate with passion. Passion to kill, to die, to love, to confine, to be jealous over.. I mean the list can go on. I thought this film was so powerful in that it played with innocence and evil. Using the church clips with the vampire or demon is a classic hollywood move now a days, maybe showing that mystic creatures can be pure? That there aren't monsters..Its violent because of the music, and of the graph goriness especially during the time this movie was released. I think Ganja marries Hess because she sees past him.. (connection to twilight, anyone?) I think their sexual chemistry felt so strong that eventually they felt connected on deeper levels.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what kaitlyn said, and you can see it during a few takes. Dr. Hess drinks a cup of blood, and then the next shot is this red light in the sky (red symbolizing love, lust, passion, fury, anger) and then the next scene is where that girl in the bar takes him home to try and rob him and he ends up murdering everyone in the house.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying really hard to think about how the film would have played out if the characters were played by white actors and the only thing i've really come up with is that the role of the church would be significantly different. This movie focuses on a gospel church.