In between the already-thin segments of plot come the documentary footage. The bias is in favor of the black men in most cases, with the blame being aimed squarely at the black women. There are a few black women who agree that the problems within black relationships lie with black women, but it would make sense, whether we want to hear it or not, to let the women disagree with the men as well. When they do so, Alexander tries to paint them as irrational.
The film presents some solutions to these "problems." One of them is a return to reading the Bible. There in the pages of the immortal text it is apparently written that Adam is dominant and Eve is submissive. But the inversion of gender roles isn't the reason these problems occur and they certainly don't reflect the the issues James faces in the film's narrative.
Another solution is something simple: letting go of the past. This isn't something that just black women and black men should learn, but something everyone ought to adopt. The scars of your past shouldn't get in the way of the healing process toward a brighter future. If they do, then men and women will continue to carry their emotional baggage into their relationships.
In a post-Barack Obama generation, Diary of a Tired Black Man feels completely inappropriate. President Obama has a wife and two children, and his family seems genuinely happy. Magnolia Pictures must have thought to themselves, "Hey, let's see if this will fly," when they released the film to see if there were a few people who still thought there were "problems" in the black community.
There are other issues that black people have to deal with. The state of the world right now, however, is not reflected in this film. Nobody cares one iota about getting a woman or a man these days. People are only concerned with survival.
But if navel-gazing is your favorite hobby, Diary of a Tired Black Man is just for you.
Article comments
1 - so-called uncle tom / sellout
notice how if tis guy was a white guy or a thug. this women won't dare do that
2 - Coby
Mr. Milam,
You missed the whole point of this film. You shouldn't have even watched it. You apparently aren't tired of you're black woman.
3 - jj
The main female character was angry for no clear reason other than using anger to control her man. Most couples who face this problem know why the woman is angry. The movie is very incomplete.
4 - roger nowosielski
"Nobody cares one iota about getting a woman or a man these days. People are only concerned with survival."
I hate to disagree, friend. Human relations come before politics. At least they ought to.