Black aesthetics and the son of man film

Abstract

The Son of Man (2006) is the first film in the Jesus film genre with an entirely black cast, including the leading role of a black Jesus. Historically, the Jesus film genre has been produced by western filmmakers with a white cast in ancient film sets, portraying how the world of Jesus would have been in first century Palestine. Portrayals of Jesus are, thus, typically portrayed as a white man with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and long white/brown robes with sandals. Son of Man however, places the narrative of Jesus in a contemporary South African context. Jesus is black, bald-headed, speaks isiXhosa, and upholds isiXhosa culture and tradition. Son of Man is a transcultural narrative of Jesus, relating the gospel narrative(s) to the black experience in South Africa. Son of Man diminishes the perception that the image of Jesus can only be portrayed as western. It reinforces the ideology of Black Consciousness and the praxis of Black Theology creatively and artistically through film. This study analyses arguments about the purpose and role of art (film) in the black experience. This study will demonstrate how art may be used to address social injustices in post-1994 South Africa and the Son of Man film will be used as a case study. First, we will discuss the interdisciplinary study in the fields of Theology and Film Studies: provide the history of the portrayal of the Jesus figure in film, and define black aesthetics. Second, we will relate blackness and art from the Black Power Movement in the United States of America and the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa during the 1960s. We will also discuss how Black Liberation Theology relates to aesthetics. Third, we will discuss the relationship between aesthetics and ethics. Fourth, we will explore what it means to be black and Christian in post-apartheid South Africa. Last, we will integrate these findings and provide a conclusion.