With each passing year, the stars and filmmakers that were part of Hollywood’s “Golden Age” depart, often to, as some have said with a whimsical wink, “that great late show in the sky”. And yet there was little levity evident near the beginning of 2022 when the arts lost a man who was more than merely a “matinee idol”. He was a true inspiration for millions, the first black actor to take home a competitive Best Actor Academy Award. That was 1964, and the man was Sidney Poitier. Now, over nine months since his passing, a talented team of documentarians have joined forces in a retrospective and a celebration of the life and legacy of SIDNEY.
So, who is the best choice to take us through that decades-spanning career, and give us a glimpse of his early years of poverty and struggle? Why none other than the man himself. But it’s not just assembled clips from interview archives, although there are some truly choice bits seen here. No, this is some of the last footage of Mr. Poitier, seated in front of a muted blue-hued backdrop and talking right to us. His cadence is a bit slowed and his thinning hair peppered with grey doesn’t detract from his commanding screen presence. Every word, every phrase is riveting as those still sparkling eyes bore into the viewer. He begins with a most powerful opening tale: he was not expected to live, since he “arrived” two months early. Historical footage and photos illustrate his early impoverished life on Cat Island in the Bahamas, soon moving to Nassau. His move to Miami proved a harsh “wake-up call” as he was exposed to ugly acts of bigotry, even encountering the Ku Klux Klan. New York City proved more nurturing, especially in Harlem, as Sidney learned to read while working as a dishwasher, and eventually got bitten by the “acting bug”. Lots of hard work and a few “lucky breaks” sent him to Hollywood for a major role in the 1950’s NO WAY OUT. As he began a family with his bride Juanita, Sidney would bounce between stage and screen, all leading to the golden statue for LILLIES OF THE FIELD. He wasn’t content to stay isolated in the studio system as he became actively involved in the civil rights movement of the mid-1960s. More triumphs occurred as he became a top ten box office champ, was one of the founders of the First Artists movie studio, and eventually moved behind the camera to become an acclaimed and successful film director. Quite the resume for a man who barely survived childbirth on the islands.
We can almost feel the waves of respect and affection for the film’s focus washing over us due to the expert direction of Reginald Hudlin and the scripted structure from Jesse James Miller. But it’s not just a “mash note” as the doc delves into the darker side of stardom and doesn’t shade away from the “rough spots” in Poitier’s personal and professional life. Surprisingly they got his first and second wives to speak about him as Sidney’s long affair with a former film co-star is examined. Plus we learn that there were complaints about his screen image along with the praise, with cries of “Uncle Tom” aimed his way as he became a 60s screen superstar. It’s inferred that his too “pristine and clean-cut” characters, even dubbed too slick and non-threatening for the general moviegoing public, paved the way for the 1970s “blaxploitation” flicks. But few of those interviewed had huge “beefs’ with his choices (Spike Lee still has a problem with THE DEFIANT ONES). We hear from so many Oscar-winners including Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Halle Berry, Robert Redford, and Barbra Streisand (one of the other “First Artists”). Plus there are several clips of fan turned friend Oprah Winfrey, who’s also a producer on this. But the most endearing anecdotes may come from perhaps Sidney’s BFF for over 70 years, Harry Belafonte. Though the sadness glistens in his eyes, he comes alive speaking of their early rivalry, often going out for the same role (Harry thought one script was “stupid” until Sidney won an Oscar with it), their many “falling outs” (just as a longtime married couple one person remarks), and how he steered Poitier into the “third act” as a producer/director. But the most-gripping stories are those surrounding their work for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., earning a “target on their backs” (the tale of a nighttime car chase in the South might give you chills). Of course, along with the two Mrs. Poitiers, we get to hear loving memories from all six of his daughters as they narrate some sweet home movies and videos. As for the film fans, some of his movies may get “short shrift” or left out, but the clips are “ID’d with release years, and we hear from his GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER co-star, and Lulu belts out a few bars of that film title theme classic. What’s not to love? Like the man himself…very little. Film fanatics and historians alike should revel (and add some movies to their “streaming queues”) after savoring the splendid profile of the man known to his family and friends as SIDNEY.
3.5 Out of 4
SIDNEY opens in select theatres and streams exclusively on AppleTV+ Friday, September 23, 2022
