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A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks

  • 20212021
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
234
YOUR RATING
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks (2021)
Follows Gordon Parks' stellar career from staff photographer for LIFE magazine, through his artistic development photographing everyday Americans, through his evolution as a novelist and groundbreaking filmmaker.
Play trailer1:51
2 Videos
3 Photos
Documentary
Follows Gordon Parks' stellar career from staff photographer for LIFE magazine, through his artistic development photographing everyday Americans, through his evolution as a novelist and gro... Read allFollows Gordon Parks' stellar career from staff photographer for LIFE magazine, through his artistic development photographing everyday Americans, through his evolution as a novelist and groundbreaking filmmaker.Follows Gordon Parks' stellar career from staff photographer for LIFE magazine, through his artistic development photographing everyday Americans, through his evolution as a novelist and groundbreaking filmmaker.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
234
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • John Maggio
  • Stars
    • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    • Jelani Cobb
    • Anderson Cooper
  • Director
    • John Maggio
  • Stars
    • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    • Jelani Cobb
    • Anderson Cooper
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 2User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
    • 73Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
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    Trailer 1:51
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    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    • Self
    Jelani Cobb
    Jelani Cobb
    • Self
    Anderson Cooper
    Anderson Cooper
    • Self
    Ava DuVernay
    Ava DuVernay
    • Self
    Nelson George
    Nelson George
    • Self
    Spike Lee
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    Gordon Parks
    Gordon Parks
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    • (archive footage)
    Latoya Ruby Frazier
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    Bryan Stevenson
    Bryan Stevenson
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    • Director
      • John Maggio
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    User reviews2

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    7/10
    Insightful look at the long shadow of Gordon Parks
    As "A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks"(2021 release; 89 min.) opens, we are introduced to Gordon Parks, "photographer, film maker, social activist, and more", as Parks talks about the world he lives in: "I don't like the expression 'living in a white man's world. I consider this MY world." We then go to "Baltimore, MD", where photographer Devin Allen, who became an overnight sensation with his coverage of the 2015 protests there (landing him the cover of TIME Magazine), talks about how Parks inspired him. At this point we are 20 min into the lovie.

    Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from veteran John Maggio ("The Newspaperman", "The Perfect Weapon"). Here he takes Gordon Parks' 1966 autobiography "A Choice of Weapons" as a loose basis to reflect on both Parks' life and times as well as his enduring legacy and long shadow (in the best way). While I certainly had heard of Parks, I really wasn't familiar with all of the details of this man's life and works, and in that sense this documentary was a real eye-opener for me. He is best known for being the sole African-American on LIFE's photography staff, where he produced many iconic pictures of the black experience starting in the late 40s for over 2 decades. Along the way, we get a number of talking heads providing further insights on Parks: Spike Lee, Ava Duvernay, LaToya Frazier, etc. It was a complete surprise to me when I learnt that Parks also directed a number of noteworthy movies, none more so than the iconic 1971 "Shaft", in essence starting the blaxploitation genre. Wow, just wow. Wat an incredible talented man this was. (In the movie's credits, I noticed that Alicia Keys executive-produced this film.)

    "A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks" premiered on HBO earlier this week, and is now available on HBO On Demand and HBO Max (where I caught it). If you are a fan of Gordon Parks or simply are curious about the black experience in the 40s-50s-60s-70s, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
    helpful•2
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    • paul-allaer
    • Nov 17, 2021

    Details

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    • Release date
      • November 15, 2021 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Wybór broni. Zainspirowani przez Gordona Parksa
    • Production company
      • HBO Documentary Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 29 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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