Get on the Bus with a mixed company

Of Spike Lee's many great movies, Get on the Bus stands forth as one of his most powerful and daring. Appearing in 1996 to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Million Man March, the film received both poor media coverage and little audience attendance. This is likely due to the film's unflinching take on numerous issues confronting the black community in contemporary America.

Lee directed the movie on a small budget and in a whirlwind three weeks. The money was raised through donations from 15 African American men, stars like Danny Glover, Will Smith, and Wesley Snipes.

The narrative unfolds as a simple travel story. Beginning in Los Angeles, a group of men board a bus headed to Washington DC, to attend the Million Man March. The men bring on board their hopes, dreams, prejudices, and problems.

As the bus progresses across the United States, the men encounter many physical obstacles blocking their paths, and many challenges to their sense of identity as black men.

The journey takes on mythic qualities, as their trip is "a ride into history." Allusions to many important African American historical events (such as Martin Luther King's 1963 march on Washington) appear throughout the film. The oldest man on the bus, Jeremiah (played wonderfully by Ossie Davis), is portrayed as a Moses-like spiritual leader for the men.

The characters on the bus come off as fresh and real. At various times the men discuss the negative effects of Hollywood stereotyping of black youth and culture. Lee very obviously combats those stereotypes by presenting characters who embody a variety of views and experiences.

The male African American community is shown to be anything but homogeneous. The men range from teenage to elderly, liberal to republican, police officer to ex-gangster, homosexual to homophobic. The camera captures their stories up close and personal, in a documentary type style.

Though the film is long, the brilliant cast propels the character-oriented plot at an energetic pace. Many of the issues which are raised as the men discuss their backgrounds and opinions are never settled. Lee leaves the audience to make up their mind after hearing many diverse opinions on issues of racism, homophobia, biraciality, and inner city youth.

Like the Million Man March, and like the prayers which bookend the film, Get on the Bus is a sign of hope to the African American community. The film, made looking back on the march, is not overly self-righteous about itself or the march. It's what happens after the march is over and the credits roll which is what will really affect the state of racism.

Both the film and the march pose the question: what do we do now? The march is seen as only the beginning of empowerment; the spirit of the march needs to be alive in every black man every day.

Aware of its inability to directly cause political change, the film seeks to affect perceptions of black men in movies. Lee's realistic style and focus on the private lives and relationships of the men create a moving portrait of black men grounded in reality rather than in racist fears and stereotypes.

Lee never skimps on confronting controversies, even raising questions about Louis Farrakhan, the organizer of the march. Conversations about Farrakhan abound, but the film backs off from directly confronting his anti-Semitic, homophobic, male-centric, and extremist politics by excluding the actual march from the story.

Questioning historical and contemporary views of male African Americans, Get on the Bus is unsettling and comforting at once. Though realistic about the hardships which face the African American community, Spike Lee seems ultimately hopeful about the future. The film both inspires and disturbs, showing the deep and subtle complexities of racial issues and prejudice.

Get on the Bus intelligently and boldly raises many issues which typical Hollywood and independent films never even mention. Get on the Bus is a must see film event on campus.

Get on the Bus is showing tonight at 7:15 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m., in Kettering 11. Admission is $1. Sponsored by OFS.