a review of 紫檀镇

I feel like this movie could be used in place of The Crucible as an illustration of both American mob/vigilante justice and the ongoing legacy of slavery and antiblack racism in the 20th century and beyond. It no doubt takes some liberties with the actual historical details (which I'm very curious to look into now) in terms of presenting a definitive hero in Ving Rhames' character and sympathetic/complex white characters who are not wholly animated by racial animus. But even in the case of Jon Voight's shopkeeper, we get to see time and time again how easily white allyship crumbles when both his comfort and privilege are threatened. One could argue that the film perhaps pulls some punches at the very end (while also raising some uncomfortable questions about who gets to have "plot armor" in a film like this) but I think it is defensible on the grounds of genre and telling a story to entertain and energize as well as inform. An overlooked classic that I look forward to watching again very soon.