Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson Director: Ken Burns
DVD - 2 Disc Set - Wide Screen / Black & White Learn more
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- DVD Release Date: 01/11/2005
- Original Release: 2004
- Rating:
- Sales Rank: 6,792
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Features
"The Making of Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson"; Deleted scenes; Special music video featuring Wynton Marsalis; Enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions
Full Product DetailsScene Index
Side #1 -- Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, Disc 1
1. Introduction [1:13]
2. Rise [5:20]
3. The Emperor of Masculinity [5:59]
4. The Forbidden District [10:22]
5. The Golden Smile [16:11]
6. A Hard Man to Handle [15:13]
7. White Hopes [11:31]
8. Independence Day [21:00]
9. A Word to a Black Man [12:03]
10. Credits [9:20]
1. From Johnson's Early Life & Career [:06]
2. On Johnson's Boxing Style & Talent [3:32]
3. On Segregation & the Color Line [4:47]
4. On W.E.B. Dubois & the Niagara Movement, 1905 [2:06]
5. Cut From Johnson vs Burns, 1908 [2:41]
6. Alternate Ending for Johnson vs. Ketchel, 1909 [1:53]
7. Cut From the Prelude to the Johnson vs. Jeffries Fight, 1910 [1:13]
8. Cut From the Aftermath of the Johnson vs. Jeffries Fight [4:23]
9. Scenes Cut From Episode II [1:30]
Side #2 -- Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, Disc 2
1. Introduction [7:28]
2. Fall [7:07]
3. Smooth Goods [9:07]
4. I am Not a Slave [20:25]
5. Everybody Skips [15:06]
6. Hotter Than Hell [17:42]
7. The Greatest [15:26]
8. Ghost in the House [7:07]
9. Credits [2:31]
Editorial Reviews
History plays ironic tricks, making terms such as "The Great White Hope" part of the vernacular, for instance, while leaving the phrase's roots obscure. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, collaborating again with writer Geoffrey C. Ward (Jazz, Baseball, The Civil War), uncovers those roots and much more in the acclaimed two-part biographical film Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. The first black boxer to hold the title of world heavyweight champion, Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas, in 1878, and took up boxing as a teenager. Despite his years of dominance in the ring, racial segregation denied him a shot at the "whites only" heavyweight crown until 1908, when he beat defending champion Tommy Burns in 14 rounds. It was this culture-quaking victory that spurred the search for a "Great White Hope" who could reclaim the crown from Johnson. Of course, Ken Burns's documentary is about much more than this specific tipping point and the catchphrase it spawned. Combining archival film footage and photos with a panel of knowledgeable commentators, Burns explores the remarkable life of a man who truly lived by his own terms, facing all challengers in the ring and drawing fire from racists outside of it -- especially those who objected to his marrying white women. Among the talking heads who share their thoughts and stories - they include Stanley Crouch, Bert Sugar, and George Plimpton - the observations of James Earl Jones are especially interesting, as his portrayal of Johnson in both the stage and screen versions of The Great White Hope vaulted the young actor to considerable fame. Barnes & Noble
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