(AZquotes.com)
His first book and first silent film based on his experience as a homesteader out in South Dakota. His homestead was located on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. He would later marry his first wife, Orlean McCracken and would often have conflict with his preacher father-in- law over money and he would eventually become bankrupt and lose his business over it. which would be the inspiration for his film and book, The Homesteader ( Cnet.com) .
Some of Oscar Michaux's film was inspired by pivotal moments in his life. Some is his were based on his semi-biographical novels. The Conquest was his first book and earliest silent films written that chronicled his life traveling the West as a homesteader and the relationship with his wife. The Homesteader also is based on his experience his life in Dakota.
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Micheaux would base his characters based on popular archetypes of popular white Hollywood stars of the era. He had his own version of the black Romantic Valentino , tough & sassy Mae West, gangster figure Cagney. would also incorporate dance and musical numbers in some of his films. His goal was to appeal to both white and black audiences. To promote with the black community he relied heavily on word of mouth and establishing relationships with prominent figures within the black community for the buzz. He did face some criticism for constantly using light- skinned actor/actress as lead protagonists in his films (Bogle).
Until the advent of the Race Film genre, black people in films and the production process were exceedingly rare. What little representation within the film idustry there was, it either demeaning roles or white actors in blackface. Pre- Micheaux and his films, white hollywood heavily relied on myths and stereotypes on what they precieved black people to be. Black culture and interests was considered to be low-culture at the time (Gabbard, 2004).
Although it was his stance goal to create art that challenged the white supremacist representation of black culture and people, it wasn't his singular goal. He wanted to present blackness in all its complexities and didn't want his work to be simplified to having "respectable" or just "positive" representations. He enjoyed subverting current cultural norms through subtext and text. How black masculinity is represented, colorism and interracial relations both critique and celebrate? were some topics that were reflected in his art.
"Though a race man, eager to work for the uplift of black people, he refused to accept the notion that black cultural production should simply be a repsonse to white representations of blackness and, thereby, only portray blackness in a postive light. Insisting on diversity and complexity of image, his films set an example (hooks, 1991)
G.R. Little Library
Elizabeth City State University
