Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

drama
music
period drama
african american cinema
R
1h 34m

Tensions rise when the trailblazing Mother of the Blues and her band gather at a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Adapted from August Wilson's play, the film captures a single recording session where the legendary blues singer Ma Rainey and her ambitious trumpet player Levee battle over control of the music while the white management tries to use them both.

Released: 2020-12-18

Based on Plays/1982/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Director: George C. Wolfe

Producers: Denzel Washington Todd Black

Writer: Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Editor: Andrew Mondshein

Cinematography: Tobias A. Schliessler

Music: Branford Marsalis

Production: Escape Artists Macro

Distributor: Netflix

Trailer Wikipedia IMDB Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic Netflix Spotify

Characters

Ma Rainey Viola Davis
Levee Green Chadwick Boseman
Cutler Colman Domingo
Toledo Glynn Turman
Slow Drag Michael Potts
Mel Sturdyvant Taylour Paige
Irvin Jeremy Shamos
Dussie Mae Taylour Paige
Policeman Dusan Brown
Sylvester Chadwick Boseman
Young Levee Daveed Diggs