Idlewild Church of Blues

Idlewild, starring Andre' "3000" Benjamin as "Percival" and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton as "Rooster" of the groundbreaking hip-hop group Outkast, cuts across multiple film genres. It's a gangster/period piece/musical all rolled up into one movie that will either astound or bewilder you. Idlewild is about two childhood friends who are pursuing their musical dreams, while facing the challenges of love and relationships, and trying to overcome the obstacles that threaten their future and even their lives. It all takes place within and around a Georgian, 1930s speakeasy called "Church", which is in the words of Percival, "everything but".

As is the case with many films, I went to see Idlewild with low expectations and learned that when it comes to Outkast, you can never underestimate them in any area of artistic expression. Much of the credit for the film's quality has to go to Bryan Barber who has directed many of the music videos for the group and is making his debut as feature film director. Just as Spike Lee has expanded the possibilities of documentaries with his intense four act film on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (Translate: "A Requiem in 4 hours," but it still manages to keep your attention as long as you don't watch the whole doc at one time); Idlewild has pushed the boundaries of interdisciplinary filmmaking. If you understand that this is an experimental film you will find a way to appreciate it, regardless of your initial visceral reaction. If not, you'll dismiss it is as an unfocused and overly ambitious effort by a group of artists who have tried to go too far out of the box.

There should be little disagreement on the superb cinematic aesthetic of the film. The camera angles and movement go well beyond the norm and the lindy hop dancing that was so popular among African-Americans during that period helps set the timeframe of the film, and is captured with a certain brilliance that demonstrates the unique contribution an accomplished, yet unconventional, music video director can bring to such a project. The dancing, the clothing and the cars all help to transport you into the black world of the early 21st century United States, but there is one anachronism that collides with the historical context. Rooster is the featured "singer" at Church, but he does not really sing - he raps. Given that Taffy (Macy Gray), another club singer and guest performer Angel (Paula Patton) provide more traditional blues performances, the hip-hop fusion comes across as a creative twist, rather than a cheap way to capitalize on the market appeal of rap music.

Initially, I found it strange that the film never addresses the racial dynamics of the segregated south. However, knowing that the movie is inspired by the actual city of Idlewild, Michigan (my home state) which was a popular vacation and resort destination for black folk who could not go to places like Myrtle Beach, South Carolina during the Jim Crow era, it makes sense why the film seeks to explore how blacks could experience a self-contained existence in which contact with the outside world could be minimal, especially for business owners who did not have to work for white people. Of course the slice of black life that we are served is highly dramatized and any black film that has sexual themes and criminal elements runs the risk of being considered stereotypical by some critics.

As a Christian and budding theologian of sorts, what I often find most interesting about popular culture is how it addresses the important questions of the human experience, particularly as they relate to spirituality. Idlewild does have some rather sexually charged scenes and some may feel that it revels in indecency at certain points, but classical blues artists and the venues they performed in were frowned upon because they did often contradict the accepted social norms of religious people (though the common sins of church folk have never been any different than "worldly" people). The sultry depiction is consistent with the night life of the real Idlewild which was known as "a playground for idle men and wild women". So, it does seem ironic that this club would be called Church. However, I would say that the naming of the speakeasy is symbolic and very insightful.

Nelson George, the writer and cultural critic has said that black folk have often lived their lives in between Saturday night and Sunday morning (and I would say that metaphor describes much of humanity in general). We can call this symbolic and spiritual space, the intersection of the sacred and the secular, which really captures a more comprehensive existence that does not place one's faith in opposition to other dimensions of life that are not explicitly religious. Now granted, as Christians we are called to be in the world but not of it (John 17:14-15) and we should never conform to it in such a way that we forsake our identity as Jesus people (Romans 12:2).

Christ spent a lot of time in the company of the blues artists of His day and some added a few gospel tracks to their album as result. The question is can we party in "Idlewild" without losing our souls? There are some places that are just too idle and too wild and we may have to avoid them all together. Oftentimes the problem is the weakness of our own flesh (I can bear witness to that). Whether we're singing the blues, gospel or both, we all need a greater serving of salvation. Idlewild shows us that the path of redemption begins wherever we are, but in order to fully experience it, at some point we have to leave Egypt behind.

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P.S. I just started my second semester of seminary, so my blogging will inevitably slow down once again as I refocus my energy. I'll update as much as I can.

Grace & Peace