A Rage in Harlem (1991)

Synopsis: Director Bill Duke made his feature debut with this superbly entertaining film. Robin Givens vamps impressively as Imabelle, who flees from Natchez to Harlem to fence the gold ore her vicious boyfriend, Slim (the impressively menacing... Director Bill Duke made his feature debut with this superbly entertaining film. Robin Givens vamps impressively as Imabelle, who flees from Natchez to Harlem to fence the gold ore her vicious boyfriend, Slim (the impressively menacing Badja Djola), stole. Forest Whitaker gives a deft comic performance as Jackson, a devout Christian who works at a Harlem mortuary. Imabelle takes the naive Jackson for an easy mark but soon finds herself touched by his sweetness and won over by his devotion to her. When Slim shows up in Harlem, Jackson and Imabelle turn to Jackson's estranged stepbrother, Goldy (Gregory Hines), a numbers runner, and Goldy's best friend, Big Kathy (Zakes Mokae), a transvestite who runs the local brothel. Slim wants Imabelle back, and the four find their lives in danger as they try to sell the stolen gold to Easy Money (Danny Glover), the crime kingpin of Harlem. Duke captures the irreverent tone of Chester Himes's novel and creates a memorable vision of Harlem in the 1950s, filled with interesting and sometimes dangerous characters. Givens and Whitaker are touching and believable as the unlikely lovers, lending the wild tale a surprising emotional weight. [More]

Starring: Forest Whitaker, Gregory Hines, Robin Givens, Danny Glover

Starring: Forest Whitaker, Gregory Hines, Robin Givens, Danny Glover, Willard Pugh

Director: Bill Duke

Director: Bill Duke

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