Harry Belafonte's Version

"SING YOUR SONG"

Summary:

Sing Your Song, is a documentary about Harry Belafonte's remarkable life in the spot light. The director, Susanne Rostock, let Belafonte take over the narration and overall direction and subject of the film. This documentary takes his life and shows you it through Harry's eyes. His charismatic voice tells you his feelings and trials as you are shown his most profound accomplishments. Coming from his mouth, it gives the story a more personal touch and intimate, truthfulness. From being one of the most famous black singers/actors in America, to battling racism, to organizing rallies with Martin Luther King, Harry Belafonte shows us the hills he had to climb to get to the top and that giving up was never a thought in his mind.

In an interview Belafonte says , “I was never wasted. I don’t know what the world will do with all of this. I know in my time and my day it filled my pages, and there was always something to say, and I always thought that what I was doing was relevant.” Harry Belafonte has done a lot for the civil rights movement and those in need in general, but I can't help but wonder that this documentary was just to show off his accomplishments and not his "true" self. It's almost like he wanted to shove his life's work in everyones face and say, I'm better than you know and than you'll ever be. Which I don't think was the intent, I guess it just raised some questions in my head about the overall chunk of the film. I know that this quote sounds humble, but I still feel that some pieces of the puzzle were missing that we didn't get to see. He had no bad qualities, which sadly made him seem less human.

Links to film reviews:

“2011 Sundance Film Festival - Sundance Channel HQ: Harry Belafonte on Sing Your Song.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld7QRjr9wqQ

“Sing Your Song: Featurette - Meet the Artists.” Trailer Addict. Susanne Rostock. 2011. http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/sing-your-song/featurette-meet-the-artists

Sources:

“Sundance Review: ‘Sing Your Song’ highlights Harry Belafonte’s life as a crusader.” The Beat Goes On. Melinda Newman. 22 Jan. 2011. http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/the-beat-goes-on/posts/sundance-review-sing-your-song-highlights-harry-belafontes-life-as-a-crusader