Our Ever-Changing Communities Across The Country

First off, The Last Black Man in San Francisco catches your attention with its smooth colors and incredible cinematography.  Taking place in the Bay Area, California, we are dropped into the life of Jimmie Fails with his best friend, Montgomery Allen, who is alongside him throughout the entirety of the film.  This story involves friendship, identity, and community. Jimmie’s life is shown to us in a unique way but tackles the issue of gentrification some of us may be all too familiar with. 

In major cities across the US today, communities mostly occupied by black and non-black people of color have slowly become inhabited by those of a higher social class, who are predominately white.  Along with San Francisco, cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and many others have seen these demographic shifts in their neighborhoods in the last decade.  For those who may not be aware, the common definition of gentrification is the process of renovation and improving a neighborhood to meet the standards of the middle-class residents.  However, this general term is not always a process which benefits some black families.  Those who experience the effects of gentrification can stem from different initial situations such as evictions, or with low-income families getting a new job and moving up a social class, and wanting to fix up their house. This is clearly two different sides of the spectrum but in most cases, these initial effects take place on either end. Those who have lived in these communities through several family generations are increasingly pressured by evictions and gentrification.  These families are sometimes forced to move out due to increasing property prices and inherent bias brought in by the new residents.  We must preserve these communities and allow these people to live in their homes with peace of mind and not threats lurking behind them.

Jimmie’s story is about taking back what is rightfully his, or so he thought.  Jimmie grew up in a mansion located in the Fillmore District, a predominantly black neighborhood, before their displacement in the 50s.  He claimed that the mansion was built by his grandfather and wanted to regain ownership of the house from its current owners - an older white couple, who barely maintained the physical state of the house, let alone keep the scenery to its prime.  Suddenly the couple has to move out, leaving Jimmie and his friend Montgomery with the chance of taking it back.  The people around Jimmie are constantly telling him that his story about the mansion he grew up in is not true and that he needs to let go - but he cannot let go. The house has become his source of strength and without it he is nothing.  Jimmie wants to be able to have something to call his own, because everything he’s ever had was taken away from him.  He lost his childhood when the house was taken away, lost his relationship with his father as the years went on, and lost a physical home, forcing him to live in a car for a period.  Towards the end of the film, Jimmie learns to stop trying to take back his past and create something new for himself and his future.

While watching The Last Black Man in San Francisco, I assumed there would be a larger or more complex plot to the story. I am not trying to disrespect this film at all - it’s more of a reflection on myself and the type of  films that I typically engage with.  I haven’t come across many films like this one, where you are essentially dropped into the life of the character without the story being told very straightforwardly, so you must read between the lines.  After finishing this film though, I look back at my perspective throughout it and I feel a little ashamed, because I wasn’t able to notice what was painfully obvious. It was ultimately about Jimmie Fails trying to gain some purpose and a foothold in an ever-changing world. With my new understanding, I cannot see this film in any other way.  My lack of realization is partly due to the overstimulating nature of many films that are presented to us today, and how they follow a very similar style in showcasing plot lines.  I will encourage myself to familiarise myself with stories like this and better educate myself on the different styles of storytelling - it’s important that we all do.

This film made me laugh and cry unexpectedly.  There were times when I was watching and realized there were tears running down my face due to the character’s passion and drive.  Every one of these characters in this film had their own story and personality but were all brought back together because of their shared identities and the community they came from.  It didn’t matter if some were from different friendship groups or hadn’t spoken to each other in years, they were somehow all able to find one another in the end.  Community is something so special, which creates an incredible sense of belonging - it should be cherished deeply.  This film shows that even at your lowest point or when you’re feeling the most lonely, in a community there will always be someone right behind you to catch you from falling.  Whether it’s your best friend, aunt, or that person you were never really close to but something connected you two, there will always be someone there.