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Have you ever heard a statement that just sticks to you? Or hear something that attempts to rattle the beliefs you hold near and dear to you? I am reminded of the first time I started reading Alan Moore’s Watchmen. It was just a few weeks after losing a friend to suicide and the language of that book as well as its themes were just so deeply embedded to me. Why do we have so many divisions such as political views, religious views and opinions on social issues? Aren’t people the same? What does it truly take to love your fellow man? Do things like this keep you alienated?
Only a couple of years after the film ramblings and then declining box office revenues, there was chatter around HBO creating a Watchmen series. Not to forget it was a touchy subject for audiences. Some hated it while others wanted something different. That is where the conversation around the series started. And then Damon Lindelof, who was the creator of The Leftovers, was appointed as the showrunner for the series.
In a rather unexpected turn of events, the show was distancing itself from the source material as to set the action 30 years after book’s events. Instead, it acquired attention to true heartfelt problems. In an interview, regarding the series, Lindelöf addressed about its themes. He spoke something close to that ‘superheroes can’t find racism’.
How eloquently bold, and beautiful, this one truth that Lindelof claimed it was, America is profoundly racist. America has been built on the foundation of racism since 1776. Lindelof and company, however, are not the first ones to take the prospective fight against racism within the superhero genre. As the African American superheroes were blossoming in comic books, a whole mountain of new heroes was being brought to the silver screen: Frank Packard, J.P. Joshua, J. Walter Smith, James Smalley and many more. During the peak of Blaxploitation cinema, Abar was introduced to audiences. In his first and only movie, Abar: The First Black Superman, a black family moving into a predominantly white neighborhood soon find themselves struggling against the extreme racism that the neighborhood serves. In the Abar franchise, Abar (Tobar Mayo) is the character who ultimately befriends the family and, thus, becomes a superhuman out of their meaningful bond.
The perspectives presented in the film are very direct and often unsettling. Even four decades after the film was first screened globally, its themes are still as important as they were during its release. In fact, the filmmakers do a commendable job of building up the threat of racism. Let’s not forget the relationships that form as a result of the peculiar events surrounding this family at the heart of this story. The chemistry and acting are fairly decent for a lower budget film. At times, it could be slightly cringey. But I can see how this might be the opinion of a minority. To be honest, most of the movie’s acting problems (-for lack of a better word- and most of the movie’s problems period) lie within the last act. The first two arcs of Abar are definitely the strongest. The filmmakers have done a great job when it comes to developing empathy towards the characters. The same can be said for expressing the film’s subject matter. There is a very naked quality to these acts.
The more implausible the tone becomes, the weaker the quality. There is glorious oscillation within the journey of Mayo’s character Abar, and his relations to Doctor Kincade (J. Walter Smith). Is he not a logical thing to be turned into Abar when Kincade suffers a tragedy? This makes little to no sense in terms of the film’s characters and tone. The final act of the movie is a montage of random close-up shots of Mayo and other people who were affected by his power. He was never given a chance to explain his power either. A rather jarring narrative decision, in all honesty.
When it steps into the real and mundane, however, Abar: The First Black Superman shines the brightest. The film deals with racism, and for that reason, it is difficult for the audience to swallow. The sincerest reason to invest into this late 1970’s genre film is the relationship between Smith’s Kincade and Mayo’s Abar. When they figured out the gradual build their relationships, it was beautiful to watch. But once the film enters its third act, it falls apart. The importance of social messages also dissolve.
The drastic shift adds an element of confusion in the third act of the film as it is solely made up of close-ups of Mayo and his influence on other people. Abar: The First Black Superman is only super for its first two thirds, but its message and themes still are relevant to the current era. This fact in turn makes Abar an important picture not to ignore.
If you are reading this and you or someone you know is struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm please reach out. Comment or tweet or message us. For additional resources, visit victimsandvillains.net/hope. For immediate assistance, call the suicide lifeline or text “HELP” to. Always remember that there is hope & you have so much value and worth!
The show is written and produced by Josh Burkey who goes by the name Captain Nostalgia. Music was done by Yuriy Bespalov and Beggars. Abar: The First Black Superman was produced by Mirror Releasing and Xenon Pictures. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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