Ashes and Embers

I just happened on Ashes And Embers when it was being broadcast on the TCM channel. I had missed about the first ten minutes or so, but was intrigued enough by what I saw to record the rest of it and watch it later.

I can see why some people might have a hard time sitting through this film, but I actually found it very absorbing. There is very little story to speak of, and what there is is fragmented and non-linear. It is mainly vignettes of the principal character, a Vietnam vet named Ney (sp.?) Charles, interacting with various people in his city neighborhood and his grandmother out in the country, as he tries to resume a life after coming home from the war. There are a few moments of lightness, but mostly Charles' outlook is pretty bleak. The seemingly ever-present musical soundtrack is loud and cacophonous much of the time, but it does create a sense of chaos, which to me accurately conveyed the way life must have seemed to Charles at the moment. It was almost as if the soundtrack represented all the inner voices and images of the past in his head, which were working overtime to blot out any present connection he might try to form with the world. The people around him try to offer support, but cannot in any real way understand what the war has done to him.

The film does feel a bit long and the pacing drags in places, but the visuals throughout are very beautiful. There are some effectively intense dialogue scenes, particularly between Charles and his girl friend, and between Charles and his grandmother. I thought the lead actor, John Anderson, was really outstanding. This film is his only credit on IMDb, and I am disappointed to find that there doesn't seem to be any information at all about him anywhere online. In fact most of the actors in Ashes and Embers have very few or no other credits on IMDb (except for Barry Wiggins, who plays the protagonist's aspiring actor roommate here and has a long list of acting credits dating up to the present). I thought all the actors in the film were very effective, working in a low-key, naturalistic, almost documentary style.

I was not familiar with Haile Gerima, the director, before seeing this, but now I am interested in checking out his other work. Ashes And Embers will certainly not appeal to everyone, but if you are an adventurous filmgoer and like films that put you, as an audience member, into the middle of a human experience, then I'd recommend giving this one a try.

The previous reviewer calls this the worst movie ever? Possibly he has forgotten that this is about what war can do and has done to the countless people who have the horrors of war taken a toxic hold upon their every being. This movie should be seen as that and I think the cinematic style and the sharp, harsh soundtrack is perfect to enhance the life that they have left for them. It's not pretty, it's not something that was shown in the Lilly white parts of America like where I come from and that's part of why we are where we are now in America. To me, this and other films like the original Shaft and the classic In The Heat of the Night speak to the reality of the African Americans and the plight their children and grandchildren are facing today. I for one thank Ted Turner and TCM for saving these films for us to see and be reminded of, for all time.

Ava du Vernay introduced this movie on TCM, and she made me interested in it and the school of black film making it's part of. It's a very experimental movie, and through its use of sound and images tries to put the viewer inside the head of a black Vietnam veteran trying to get back to the business of living in early 1980s America.

As you can probably guess, that business isn't easy. It wasn't easy for any Vietnam vets, but then add the additional burden of being a black man, and there you have it. I can appreciate the motives behind this movie and I think film lovers have an obligation to watch one or two like it. I mean here in 2019 a lot of us are still complaining about the lack of minority voices in film, and here was a whole movement driven by black artists about the black American experience. But it's not at all an entertaining or even comfortable experience. It's not supposed to be, and maybe it's not asking that much of me to devote two hours to this, which I did. But boy was it a long two hours. I have nothing but empathy for this particular Vietnam vet, but his head is a very monotonous place to be.

Grade: C

What an amazing film!! Way ahead of its time, and surely ahead of our current times. Hard to understand why there are no other film reviews on this site. Maybe it's just difficult to find a viewing. I happened to stumble on it the other night on TCM. This is a powerful story told by a brilliant story teller, Haile Gerima, acted by a brilliant cast of actors, including unforgettable performances by John Anderson as Ned Charles / Grandson, and Evelyn Blackwell as Grandma. Fact is the entire cast is awesome. It's the harrowing story of a young black who returns home after fighting in Vietnam, who comes back comes back with a severe case of PSTD in the midst of a racist and exploitative country that doesn't give a wit about his service, his health, or his well being. A tough road to hoe, even though he has many folks who care about him and try to offer support and guidance. A very tough film to watch because it's a story that still resonates today. Brilliant writing, filmmaking and acting. Highly recommend for film connoisseurs and those interested in social and economic justice.

As a combat Veteran of the Vietnam war, I can honestly say this is the worse Vietnam related movie I have ever seen. Mercy, I served with many brave African American soldiers and I know many of them would be totally confused about this movie. The side effects of war has no color and the actors in this film were terrible. They were so bad, this site could not even find a profile picture to use in the cast credits. That is bad on bad. I kept looking for a zero under the, rate this... section.