Shoot the Messenger

This TV film was shocking yet truthful at times. Yes, the film discusses racism and the prejudices facing black people in British society. However, it cleverly illustrates the lack of support within the black community, it shows the lead character, a teacher who believes that by giving his troubled black pupils detention, he can enforce education on them.

However, when a particular student accuses him of assault his own community turn against him. From that he goes on a journey in discovering and highlighting the problems, for example, black single mothers, black troubled youths, black religious beliefs, and so on, do not judge this film, if you have not seen it. I am not going to give too much away, because I do not want to spoil it for anyone. I found it extremely funny and upsetting at times, do not avoid this film .

I've seen comments on this movie, which focus on the negative messages sent out by the main character. But Joseph Pascale brilliantly portrayed by David Oyelomo (watch out for this immensely talented actor) is an anti-hero. We as viewers are not supposed to agree with him or his actions. We are only asked to venture on a journey with him.

Yes. Most of what he said is over-the-top and blatantly wrong, but it does forward various touchy issues paint straight at you. You sometimes don't know whether Joseph is wrong or right and this doubt may be a very treacherous thing. The questions asked are treason, but the tingling feeling lingers that not all he said was unfounded.

The movie is beautifully acted and shot with the comedy side giving some relief. The script-writing (irrespective if you find the movie repulsive) is top-notch. Nigerian-born Ngozi Onwurah has done a spectacular job.

I guess there were a few moments, where they pushed the character a bit too far. On the other hand you can also see it as Joseph entering a phase were he was self-indulging on his own hatred and it spiraled out of control. Look the party scene.

You may not like it. But its hard not to admire it. And even harder to forget it.

It saddens me that the BBC only seem to commission dramas about black people that are either hugely patronising or play on stereotypes. Shoot The Messenger falls into the latter category. I saw this last week and was hopeful and interested to watch a virtually all-black cast. The programme was so heavily publicised that it seemed a sin to ignore it. It started off well, showing Joe, a school teacher who is accused of assault by a young black pupil and subsequently loses his career, but after a ridiculous spell in a mental institution (anyone who has had any dealings with mental illness of any shape or form, will recognise this depiction as puerile and ignorant) he turns against all black people. On his release he then travels through a rich series of vignettes involving bad black people who only seem to reinforce his negative ideas about black culture.

As a young black woman, I suppose if I say that I'm annoyed by the stereotyping and negativity, I probably just don't like to hear the truth. If I say that the depiction of black women as females with non-existent self-esteem is offensive, then again, supporters of this film would argue that the truth hurts. I don't care if our 'laundry' is aired - if it takes this to encourage people to talk the problems with drugs, prison and mental illness which are currently occurring in the black community, then i'm all for it. But please, who are the producers of this fodder kidding? The only reason this programme was made was to increase ratings. The BBC have no moral responsibility to the black community - most of its employees don't know any black people apart from the happy go lucky staff who dish out their lunch at the canteen and the friendly but reserved IT guy who comes to mend their computer.

The point is, there are many gifted, talented black writers out there who have vision and the ability to create a good script seamed together with a solid message that would be understood by all races, who will never get a commission from the BBC simply because they're unwilling to resort to this level. It saddens me to read that so many black people are supporting this film. It seems as if we really are starved of seeing our own images in celluloid.

i watched the movie and thought it was brilliant. i've just been reading some of the reviews and i am amazed at those who say it is a racist movie or the fact that it isn't real. i think the only extreme case in the movie was Joe going mad. every other issue in the movie is as true as the day follows night. the issue theory about the black crabs is also very true. come to think of it, back in those days the black slaves were bought. who sold them to the whites? i've been hunting for the movie to buy not knowing it's not for sale. i think most of the people who disagreed with the movie were born and bred here in Britain or they've been in the country for too long they don't know what is happening in their countries. why should Africa, with all the resources they have-in abundance- suffer the poverty they suffer? answer: the black crabs theory.does anyone reading this have any idea of the amount of resources the DR Congo has? so why aren't the people of congo rich, why are they fighting? the black crabs theory and the fact that the 'average' black person is self-centered. so instead of the black trying to be like the white in the way they talk and dress, we should be thinking like them. think at least one hundred years ahead and take action. talk is cheap. please show it again soon, i've been tyring to buy one from shops not knowing it's not for sale. thank you BBC for showing it

STAR RATING: ***** Jodie Marsh **** Michelle Marsh *** Kym Marsh ** Rodney Marsh * Hackney Marsh

Joe Pescale (David Oyelowo) used to have a good job in IT but gave it all up to become a teacher and try to turn around the lives of the disadvantaged black kids he was teaching. He is the only black teacher in a school of predominantly black kids but he soldiers on regardless trying to make a difference. But it all goes wrong one day when he taps a troublesome pupil named Gemal (David Mnee) on the shoulder, which he blows out of proportion, costing him his job and the venomous spurn of the black community. After a lot of heckling and spurn, he becomes a paranoid recluse and starts imagining that all black people are evil and are out to get him.

As if to whip up controversy like a jelly cake, the original title of the film was going to be F*ck Black People before the conservative BBC decided that would be just a little too provocative and toned it down to the title we have. The film sparked a lot of outrage anyway and was even branded outright BNP propaganda. I can see how people drew this conclusion, as the film plays at times like a none stop rundown of all the various different bad aspects of black culture and the black community, from promiscuous single mothers with many different kids from different fathers to gun crime and failure in the school system. I can see how some may see it as depressing viewing, but I must say I never saw it this way. It's all played in a gritty, pull no punches way but it compels and enlightens you rather than weighing you down. And it's helped no end by Oyelowo in the lead role. The Spooks star delivers a fantastic performance, perfectly conveying paranoia and depression but also giving the film an energetic, enlightening and wryly humorous lead character who focuses on all the negative aspects of his culture in an angry and frustrated but also gleefully cynical way and even offers something of a tip on how things could change. The supporting cast also all shine in smaller roles but as he is carrying the film, he is the main player in making it what it is.

Powerful and hard-hitting, then, and certainly likely to offend some, but it's all (Like it or hate it) true and offers some tough food for thought for all the problems in the black community and the issues it needs to address. ****