Was Bamboozled Counterproductive?

In our  questions for Bamboozled, we were asked to analyze a critique of the film that read as follows: “To ridicule something, you have to show it, and if what you’re attacking is a potent enough image, the image retains its negative power no matter what you want to say about it.” This is a question that I wanted to delve deeper into. We can navigate this critique a number of ways but I firmly believe that the film critic is correct and that this statement directly applies to Spike Lee’s Bamboozled.

I feel that while the film was appalling at times and graphically portrayed many racial inequalities and the negative impact of racism in society, Spike Lee’s efforts were counterproductive. As I was watching the film, I kept on waiting for a brief moment of relief or small segment that stepped away from the harsh nature of what was happening. The interactions among the characters (particularly the relationship between Pierre Delacroix and his boss) provided such a strong sense of discomfort that I could not find any redeeming value by the climax of the film. It left me with such a sickening feeling to the extent that I found no possible way to sympathize with any of the characters. Spike Lee’s intention was clear: put everything out there and shock the audience in an attempt to instill social change while raising awareness for the issue at hand; but being a “shock jock” of the movie industry did not work here. Though the goal was clear, I was left with a loss of hope for the human race rather than a sense of newfound hope for activism in today’s society.

The constant lack of compassion portrayed in Bamboozled felt inescapable. Usually in controversial dramas, members of the audience can see a possible solution even in the most drastic scenarios. In Paul Haggis’ 2004 crime drama, Crash (an excellent film that has a central theme of race), we see the worlds of several characters collide over a 48-hour period in Los Angeles. Though the film reaches some horrifically dark moments, short segments of healthy relations between members of different races that previously despised one another provide audiences with a sense of relief from the tension and an uplifting message of hope for a better future. Those moments were not present in Bamboozled and I found Spike Lee’s ultimate goal to be ineffective. No matter how many times I re-watch Bamboozled’s ending, I cannot help but think that one small change with the slightest hint of a positive outlook could have made the message so much more powerful.