It is truly a Party

Have you ever been to a concert of one of your favorite bands or singers and have gotten chills while watching them perform live? Well in Dave Chapelle’s Block Party, you can experience that feeling with out even leaving the comfort of your own home. The film Dave Chapelle’s block Party has raised a lot f praise and controversy. From being such an outstanding array of performers coming together to perform. To Dave Chapelle’s unconventional humor seen.

Robert Ebert says “I’ve seen better comedy films and better concert films. It noodles around too much and gets distracted from the music.” I must disagree with Robert Ebert. This film not once I believe ever gets distracted from the music. The most obvious is that this film is made to bring all the many different artist together such as Kanye West, Luaryn Hill, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu to perform in an amazing concert. The whole film was documenting the process of which Dave Chapelle organizing this concert and the concert it self. Yeah the whole film isn’t the concert but that wasn’t the purpose of the film. So I find it hard to believe that this film “noodles around to much and gets distracted from the music.”

Owen Gleiberman says “Dave Chapelle’s Block Party is perhaps the first concert movie since Stop Making Sense to give you a blissful buzz. The buzz comes from the music, which has a loose, burning joy rare to behold in a live rap performance, and also from Chapelle’s wicked prankster’s glee, which spreads through the movie like a happy virus. I agree that there is a buzz that comes from the music and from Dave’s prankster glee. Throughout the film no matter who is performing either if its Lauryn Hill or Kanye West or any of the other artist, there is this over whelming buzz that comes from their performances. Not only the performances by the featured artist but also the performances by other artists. For instance The Central State University marching band. When they perform Jesus Walks for Kanye West there was more than a buzz, there was an overwhelming sense of comradery that not only the band and Kanye shared but all of the artist shared during the film.

Dave Chapelle said “I was doing sketches that were funny but socially irresponsible.” regarding his show The Dave Chapelle Show. But even after the show ended, he was still doing comedy that was funny but socially irresponsible. For example, during the concert portion of Block party Chapelle said “[playing bongos in front of a crowd] 5,000 black people chillin' in the rain. 19 white people peppered in the crowd. Trying to find a Mexican.” After Chapelle made that statement you would think that he would be more aware of what he is saying especially in a public setting. But as this film shows, he was still being socially irresponsible with his humor.

Dyson said “all forms of black music been attacked both within and beyond black culture. Blues jazz, rhythm and blues and soul have all been viewed as indecent, immoral, and corrupting of black youth.” This is shown many times during the film through the the people being interviewed throughout the film.

Not only is Dave Chapelle’s Block is praised by many but also stirs up some controversy.