The City in Film Reflection

The City in History Film Reflection

Title of Film/Documentary

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The City in History Film Reflection

1. Explanation

The topic and city I decided to focus on for this assignment revolves around the mental

health issues of women in mid 20th century New York City. Since early adolescence, I have

been visiting New York and have always been fascinated by the unique aura Manhattan exudes. I

have grown familiar with the city, and it has become somewhat of a second home to myself, and

where I find the most comfort. With a rich history and a center for the arts, the city holds a very

special place in my heart. The documentary I chose is called, What Happened, Miss Simone? It

was directed by Liz Garbus in 2015. After browsing various films and documentaries, this

piqued my interest as I had listened to Nina Simone’s music, but never fully understood the story

of her life. The documentary reinforced my perception of New York’s history of harnessing

prestigious musical talent, but also highlighted the societal struggles of a young black woman

and her fight with her inner self brought on by a life of fame and power.

2. Evaluation

What Happened, Miss Simone?, is about the life of Pianist and blues singer Nina Simone.

The documentary tells the story of her life, beginning with her childhood in North Carolina and

attendance at New York’s prestigious Juilliard School. After finding success with her music, she

used her voice to write political songs in light of the civil rights movement in the mid 1960s.

While being alienated by the public and media, Nina exhibited erratic behaviors and decided to

leave her family to live a nomadic life in Liberia and parts of Europe. Eventually finding

professional help, she was diagnosed as manic depressive and bipolar. Agreeing to receive

treatment, Nina toured again in Europe and settled in Holland until her death in 2003. Put

together through archival footage, and interviews with friends, family and co-workers, the

documentary paints a sad picture of a woman that once held so much glory, for it only to be

slowly ripped from her as a result of her depression and lack of care for her mental health. She

even wrote in her journal, "I hate them yes, but I hate myself more, I have no excuse.”

Regarding the documentary's storytelling, the director and producers did a great job in

laying out prior information for the viewer to understand who she really was. They included

multiple perspectives of events, like Nina’s experience with domestic violence and abuse.

Stories of her being beaten by her husband are countered by Nina abusing her daughter Lisa.

Detailed aspects of where she grew up, her time in New York, Paris and the other cities were

discussed as they played a large role in her career. However, as her diagnosis is revealed late in

the documentary, I felt dissatisfied with the lack of information the directors provided about her

prescription of Trilafon. The documentary also brushed off her proviolence stance as a result of

her fame in combination with her bipolar disorder, leaving questions regarding her character on

the bases of her abusive and sex obsessed tendencies. Overall, the strength of the documentary

was its visual and oral delivery that carefully pieced together her life through shows and

photographs in immense detail. Coupled with highlighting important historical events and

components of her personal life, the documentary strung together a balanced story.

3. Reflection

In my opinion, this documentary brought to light the ongoing struggle of being a black

woman in America. Themes of isolation and self-worth were highly prevalent, as Nina felt she

was part of a lost race. After only performing political songs, her career was damaged and so she

felt a resentment towards her own country. This documents not only tells the life of one person,

but instead represents the frustration felt while living in a white society. Nina rose to fame with

her musical talent. The public loved her until she voiced her opinion regarding the ongoing

oppression of black Americans and their lack of rights. When audiences heard the emotions and

experiences of Nina, they stopped playing her music on radios because she was no longer just a

singer for their entertainment. The themes of discrimination, isolation, mental health, violence

and abuse are very much still relevant in the current Black Lives Matter movement. The media

plays a large role in shaping the perceptions of issues in cities. New York City, home to millions

of people from all over the world, is a diverse center for the arts, business, and finance, but also

home to racial discrimination. Films, television and music can create an ideal image of what the

city is like. However, as much as there is good in New York, there is also the bad as emphasized

by current and ongoing issues of homelessness, pollution, gentrification, disease, and importantly

police brutality based on racial prejudice.

Bibliography

Garbus, Liz. What Happened, Miss Simone? April 29, 2015. Netflix &

RadicalMedia. https://www.netflix.com/title/70308063