105. Toni Morrison - The Pieces I Am; movie review

TONI MORRISON - THE PIECES I AM
Cert 12A
120 mins
BBFC advice: Contains images of real dead bodies, references to discrimination

How have I gone my entire life not being aware of such an inspirational figure as Toni Morrison?
Indeed, I am embarrassed that I missed out on Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning work such as Beloved, her novel about a woman who escaped the slave trade after the American Civil War.
 Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' biopic Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am is a passionate insight into the life and works
of the storyteller and African-American heroine.
It moves from her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio to being an editor to Muhammad Ali and activists such as Angela Davis and on to the success of her own writing.
Morrison was a more mellow character in her 80s (sadly she died after this was made) than she was in her feisty pomp during the 1970s and 80s.
She engages with a smile and laughs at the stupidity of those whose racism has blighted African-American life for hundreds of years.
Her literature gave women of colour a voice which wasn't through the prism of the dominant white male.
She talks through her life, in particular her successes, complimenting footage of past interviews with her and contemporary appraisals by those who knew her best.
These include big names such as Davis, Fran Lebowitz and Oprah Winfrey, who turned Morrison’s
novel “Beloved” into a feature film.
This documentary also includes original music by Kathryn Bostic, a specially created opening sequence by artist Mickalene Thomas and evocative works by other contemporary African-American artists including Kara Walker, Rashid Johnson and Kerry James Marshall.
Morrison has been a key figure in promoting the African-American narrative. I was so impressed by her than I am off to buy a copy of Beloved. She will be missed but has left a stunning legacy.


Reasons to watch: Utterly inspirational
Reasons to avoid: Presumes a bit of knowledge

Laughs: A couple of chuckles
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? Toni Morrison was the first Black woman—from any country—to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

The final word. Toni Morrison: "In this country, American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate."

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