Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, based on August Wilson’s play, follows the titular blues legend Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) and her band, specifically trumpeter Levee (Chadwick Boseman), over the course of a single afternoon as they record her album. Writer Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who adapted the screenplay, and director George C. Wolfe mostly stuck to Wilson’s work, the most notable changes being an abridged runtime (the original play clocked in at two-and-a-half hours versus the film’s brisk 94-minute runtime) and a thematic gut punch of an ending appended to the story. That new ending (the last shot in the film) accomplishes what every great adaptation does: While it doesn’t appear in the original, it is expands on the play’s themes in a way that feels inevitable and inextricably linked to the narrative. The film and play touch on many themes including racism, violence, religion, and masculinity, most notably by exploring the exploitation…
The 22nd Annual Screenwriting Competition develops talented writers and connects them with producers, agencies, and managers who can help launch their career.
Next Deadline: May 1st, 2024