"Black Joy" (1977)

"Black Joy" (1977) is a British comedy adapted from Jamal Ali's stageplay, "Dark Days and Light Nights." Anonthy Simmons directed the film and assisted in writing the screenplay. The movie stars Norman Beaton, Trevor Thomas, Floella Benjamine, and Dawn Hope.

In the 1970s, Afro-centric movies from nations with a significant black population began appearing in American theatres. For example, "The Harder They Come" (1972) was out of Jamacia and instantly became a hit with Jimmy Cliff's theme song.

"Black Joy" first appeared in British movie theatres, eventually coming to America. This film was a rare opportunity to see South London's district, known as Brixton, where thousands of West Indian immigrants resided. As a result, it's an urban look into London, similar to what we saw in many Black movies in America during the 1970s. In addition, "Black Joy" was one of the first majority black-cast British films. Simmons does a fantastic job of capturing the environment of Brixton. Led by renowned actors Norman Beaton and Trevor Thomas, the movie follows a Guyanese immigrant moving to Brixton, totally naive to survival in city life.

The soundtrack to the movie consists of several hits of Soul/R&B songs from the 60s and 70s. There are some reggae tracks as well.

Director: Anthony Simmons

Writers: Anthony Simmons, Jamal Ali

Starring Norman Beaton, Trevor Thomas, Floella Benjamin, Dawn Hope, Oscar James, Paul J. Medford, Shango Baku, Vivian Stanshall, T-Bone Wilson

Storyline

Nominated for the Golden Palm award at Cannes in 1977, Anthony Simmons (Four in the Morning, The Optimists) directs the insightful if seedy story of an innocent and unsophisticated Guyanese immigrant, Ben (Trevor Thomas), who is exposed to the hustle of the Brixton ghetto. Ben arrives in Brixton with his cardboard suitcase and a piece of paper with the address of a relative on it. Within minutes he has lost his wallet to an artful dodger and is forced to sleep at a doss house with one eye closed and the other watching his fellow dossers.

Nearly penniless, Ben wanders around Brixton and meets Dave (Norman Beaton), a conniving hustler who lives off the earnings of his girlfriend Miriam (Floella Benjamin) and spends his days and money in gambling clubs and brothels. Dave initially sees the innocent Ben as an easy target and offers to show him the ropes, meet girls and learn the ways of the big city. Still, ultimately the two men forge a unique friendship based on the innocent's corruption and the underdogs' survival.

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Available on Blu-ray and streaming services.