Image courtesy of www.impawards.com
Director :
Michel Gondry
Cast :
Dave Chappelle……….Himself/Host
Erykah Badu……….Herself
Bilal……….Himself
Cody Chestnutt……….Himself
Common……….Himself
Mos Def……….Himself
Freeway……….Himself
2004 was only two years ago, but it already seems like a lifetime ago for some people. In 2004, Dave Chappelle was the biggest comedian on the face of the planet. He had a hit television show that was breaking new ground in a manner that likened him to a modern day Richard Prior. During that summer, Chappelle organized a block party in Brooklyn as a means of celebrating, as it came on the heels of a large contract with Comedy Central. Two years later, Chappelle’s star has faded considerably due to a nervous breakdown and rumors of drug use. With his television show to resume shortly and his mental health apparently restored, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party is a look back at the comedian at what many may very well prove to be the peak of his career.
The film is a combination of concert film and documentary. Chappelle’s aim was to bring as many of his favorite artists to this concert as he could. Kanye West, Mos Def, Common, a reunited Fugees (performing for the first time since 1997) and others join Chappelle, providing his usual antics, for a super-secret concert. Bussing in people from all over, keeping everything a secret, the film looks back at how the concert came together, looks at backstage antics and all the while lets us enjoy the concert as it happens.
The thing that stands out the most about the film is Chappelle himself, as he is just on top of everything comedic while at the same time projecting a sense of warmth and genuine friendliness. Moving from being in front of the crowd in Brooklyn to Southwest Ohio, and all points between, Chappelle isn’t trying to be anything in particular. He’s just Dave Chappelle and he’s pretty damn funny. In the aftermath of signing his $50 million deal with Comedy Central, Chappelle didn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders then, it seems. This is the calm before the storm that would derail his career. If this was Chappelle’s peak then Block Party could be viewed as the zenith of just how funny he could be. It may be the power of good editing but Chappelle manages to just be an absolute delight on camera every moment he’s on.
The music of the film is top notch, and Chappelle deserves credit for assembling a diverse and talented group of artists. There’s something to be said about listening to Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” while listening to the Central State University marching band play behind him or listening to The Roots play in front of an audience. The fact that he got The Fugees back for one more performance is something special in itself. Chappelle hasn’t assembled a group of people who were popular at that moment or who were popular for a particular song, he’s assembled a group of artists with followings and libraries of work. As the film moves from artist to backstage antics and back again, it’s a collection of great music that isn’t played on the radio.
The film’s inherent disorganization, as well as an awkward moment as a member of the Black Panther party calls for the release of “political” prisoners (cop-killing degenerates like Mumia Abu-Jamal and such), take away from a lot of the positives and general fun atmosphere of the film that Michel Gondry’s direction works so hard to cultivate over the life of the film. Gondry is trying to carve out a niche for this film that tries to distance itself from other concert films, which as a whole tend to lack in quality, but at the same time trying to be different than everything else creates a lot of organizational issues as well in how the film is structured. He hops back and forth from point to point, trying to establish a non-traditional narrative while interjecting Chappelle’s overwhelming comedic presence into the film.
