Ray

Ray still shines on DVD

—Overview
—Review by David Bruce
—Review by Chris Utley
—Review by Kevin Miller
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf file
—Spiritual Connections

One thing I’ve never been able to understand is the idea of segregation–an idea practiced in my neck of the woods during much of the 20th century.

The thought of passing someone on the street and not making eye contact because of the surplus or deficit of skin pigment is something I just can’t grasp.

Though I’m a rather young and naive white boy, I was able to better understand the plight of blacks during the slavery era with the aid of emotionally-charged productions such as the Roots miniseries and the film Glory. However, no such film existed—to my knowledge—that brought such realism to the era of segregation. That was before I watched Ray, a biopic on the life of musician Ray Charles.

Ray portrays the era of segregation in much the same way as an older black friend of mine–as an era of mostly-peaceful separation. Though the music industry seemed more open to the idea of integration (which in many cases was more exploitation than acceptance), the disturbing reality seemed to be that blacks stayed in their cultural bubble while whites stayed in theirs.

The film does such an incredible job portraying this that, when the audience is introduced to Charles’ white fan base (dancing Frankie and Annette-style on the beach), it’s jarring. These lily-skinned dancers just don’t fit in the environment to which we’ve grown accustomed. The great thing about Ray, though, is that it’s not preachy. Instead, it flows naturally, creating an unflinching version of Charles’ past without taking the extremes of deifying or demonizing him.The film could have easily dwelt on Charles’ obstacles, which include not only his skin color but also blindness, childhood trauma, various addictions and tests of his faith. Instead, Charles continues to persevere, repeatedly failing in regard to his addictions to drugs and sex, but ultimately overcoming it all in the end.

Because of these struggles, Ray is not a movie for kids. Strong language and scenes of drug use are pervasive throughout the film. A brief flash of nudity is shown in one scene. The PG-13-rated film is a gritty representation of Charles’ life, though the characters never seem to curse just for the sake of cursing. Though the drug use and marital infidelity are constant, these elements are included to make the addictions believable, ultimately showing that even these obstacles can be overcome.

Most of the acting in Ray is top-notch, though Kerry Washington, who plays Charles’ wife, seems to struggle with an on-again, off-again Scarlett O’Hara pseudo-southern dialect. When that dialect is dropped, however, her character works well.

Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of Charles is hauntingly accurate as he masters every mannerism and twitch without becoming a caricature of the man. Several times, I found myself squinting to determine whether it was the real Ray Charles. Foxx sings several of Charles’ songs himself, though it’s impossible to discern between the two until the closing credits roll. When these familiar songs are sung in the context of Charles’ struggles at the time of their creation, a spiritual connection with the audience is made, one that is rare in mainstream film. “Hit the Road, Jack” always seemed like a fun song, and “Night and Day” conjures visions of Rudy Huxtable lip-synching down Bill Cosby’s staircase. Rather than associating those songs with the always-smiling, upbeat Ray Charles, though, we can better understand the coarse, rocky soil in which the songs’ roots were planted.

Also pervasive in the film are the effects of Charles’ Christian background. His roots in Gospel music are what eventually determine his musical style. Though spiritually crippled by addictions, he continues to court with God. His mother’s past lessons of Christian perseverance lead him through the harder times in his adult life.

One such lesson is a parallel of a Christian’s relationship with God. As Charles loses his eyesight at the age of nine, his mother teaches him how to adapt. After completely losing his sight, Charles trips on a chair and calls out to his mother. Of course, a mother’s immediate response would be to help her hurting child. Instead, she fights that urge and lets him learn on his own. When tiring from crying out, Charles begins to listen to his surroundings, slowly learning to compensate for his blindness. He guides himself past the stove and other obstacles in the house, finally hearing his mother’s breathing and acknowledging her. At this point, she blankets him in her arms as they weep together.

As Christians, we often try things our way the first time. It’s not until we fall that we decide to call on God. Rather than playing the part of the overbearing parent, God often allows us to endure things “on our own,” though his compassionate gaze never leaves us. It’s only when we focus on sensing God’s presence that we are ready to feel the embrace of his blessings. Ray’s ability to impact a desire to change on the audience—teamed with the breathtaking camera work—is a sign of its cinematic excellence. It captures not only the audience’s attention but also our minds, our souls and our hearts, guiding us toward betterment through the authentic example of an obviously flawed, though sincere, legend.

—Overview
—Review by David Bruce
—Review by Chris Utley
—Review by Kevin Miller
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf file
—Spiritual Connections