A Rage in Harlem *** (1991, Forest Whitaker, Gregory Hines, Robin Givens, Zakes Mokae, Danny Glover) – Classic Movie Review 9980

Director Bill Duke’s 1991 neo noir thriller A Rage in Harlem is based on Chester Himes’s novel and stars Forest Whitaker as clumsy but nice Harlem hero Jackson, who meets and falls for sassy and sexy criminal Imabelle (Robin Givens) who has arrived from Mississippi to deliver a box of gold.

This lovingly made, arty African American thriller is a nice try that catches the eye and periodically entertains, but overall just doesn’t quite work.

It looks a treat (Cincinnati stands in apparently effectively for Fifties Harlem) in a beautiful production, and there is no denying the power of many of the scenes and the performances, especially those of Whitaker, Givens, Danny Glover and Gregory Hines. But the tone is uneven, varying from broad comedy to strong violence, and the film’s welcome starts to evaporate too soon. However Duke keeps it cracking along, and there is some crackling dialogue and a hard-boiled atmosphere to relish along the way.

Another Chester Himes adaptation, Devil in a Blue Dress, does it better.

Also in the cast are Gregory Hines as Goldy, Zakes Mokae as Big Kathy, Danny Glover as Easy Money, Badja Djola as Slim, John Toles-Bey as Jodie, Ron Taylor, Stack Pierce, George Wallace, T J Carter, Willard E Pugh, Samm-Art Williams, Tyler Collins and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.

Bill Duke follows it up with Deep Cover (1992).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9980

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