Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
| Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson | |
|---|---|
 dvd cover | |
| Directed by | Ken Burns |
| Produced by |
Paul Barnes Ken Burns David Schaye |
| Written by | Geoffrey C. Ward |
| Narrated by | Keith David |
| Music by | Wynton Marsalis |
| Cinematography |
Stephen McCarthy Buddy Squires |
| Edited by |
Paul Barnes Erik Ewers |
Production company |
WETA Florentine Films |
| Distributed by | PBS |
Release dates | January 17, 2005 |
Running time |
214 Minutes 220 Minutes (DVD version) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson is a documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Geoffrey C. Ward (2004). In Burns' signature style the 220-minute film serves as a biography of Jack Johnson, the first African-American Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World, as well as a documentary of racism and social inequality during the Jim Crow era against which Jack Johnson lived in defiant opposition.
The documentary was first broadcast on PBS in two parts on January 17 and January 18, 2005. The film is narrated by Keith David[1] and features a soundtrack by Wynton Marsalis and Samuel L. Jackson as the voice of Jack Johnson.[2] Alan Rickman also contributed his voice to the documentary. Stanley Crouch appears offering commentary, including a quote from Johnson responding a question from a white woman about black people, "We eat cold eels and think distant thoughts."
In 2005, the film earned Burns an Emmy Award for Directing for Non-Fiction Programming. David won an Emmy for Best Voice Over Performance.[1]
The film was produced by David Schaye, Paul Barnes and Ken Burns (Executive Producer) for Florentine Films.
See also
The Great White Hope, Howard Sackler's 1967 dramatization of Jack Johnson's life.