FILM

Bessie

<em>Bessie</em> is a biopic following the rise of blues legend Bessie Smith, showcasing her transformation from poverty to stardom as “The Empress of the Blues.” It investigates the tribulations of the career, familial, personal, and business aspects of her life.

Bessie
Official Website
Cast:

Queen Latifah
Michael K. Williams
Khandi Alexander
Mo’Nique

Director:
Dee Rees

Producer:
Richard D. Zanuck, Lili Fini Zanuck, Queen Latifah, Shakim Compere, Shelby Stone, Randi Michel

Written by:
Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Giloi

Distributor:
HBO Films

Awards:

Critics’ Choice Television Award - Best Movie (Nominated)
Critics’ Choice Television Award - Best Actress in a Movie (Nominated)
Critics’ Choice Television Award - Best Supporting Actress in a Movie (Nominated)



Metacritic Score:
75%

Rotten Tomatoes Score:
85%

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How Accurate is “Bessie” as a Portrayal of Bessie Smith’s Adult Life?

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Who Was Ma Rainey, and How Did She Inspire Bessie Smith?

Ma Rainey, born Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett, nicknamed “The Mother of the Blues,” was one of the first professional and commercially successful blues singers in America. Her recordings of the style were some of the style’s earliest…
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Does “Bessie” Suffer From a Lack of Character Motivations?

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As Seen in “Bessie,” Was One of Bessie Smith’s Tent Shows Actually Interrupted By the KKK?

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Is “Bessie” Accurate in its Depiction of Bessie Smith’s Childhood?

Bessie (2015) does an often awkward job of explaining the singer’s childhood, insomuch that the state of her early life is more implicitly told than authentically shown, presented via a number of flashbacks. The flashbacks inform us that…
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How is the Ending of “Bessie” an Ominous Foreshadowing of Bessie Smith’s Actual Fate?

The Bessie (2015) biopic tactfully closes before telling the story of Smith’s final years, but if you’re aware of how she ultimately passed away, the beautiful and touching closing sequence holds a strong foreshadowing of her fate. In the…
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Did “Bessie” Accurately Reflect Bessie Smith’s Sexuality and Relationships?

The real Ma Rainey bestowed a lot of things on the real Bessie, from tactics for money management (both wore carpenter’s belst under their dresses to hold her cash) and how to manage a crowd. It is widely suggested that Rainey also had an…
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