“Get On Up” and Feel the Funk

Last updated on: August 1, 2014 at 5:58 am by Kendrick Kuo

“Get On Up” and Feel the Funk 2014-08-01T05:58:10-06:00 Kendrick Kuo

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Review of Get On Up, Directed by Tate Taylor

Coming on the heels of The Help, the same director Tate Taylor teamed up with Mick Jagger to create Get On Up, a raw biopic of James Brown spanning most of his life. Get On Up does a satisfying job providing both an entertaining movie that avoids the cliches of the usual biopic while providing insights into James Brown’s psyche without creating fanciful theories.

Get On Up is part of a long line of biopics featuring the lives of important African American figures (The Butler, 17 Years a Slave, 42), not to mention two films about Nelson Mandela. They have all been successful movies and Get On Up will be no exception.

Chadwick Boseman gives a stunning performance as the iconic figure in all his multiple personas. Get On Up works fundamentally because Boseman is able to convincingly portray the iconic figure in multiple stages of life. Boseman was a relatively unknown actor until he played Jackie Robinson in 42, but he was reined in by that film’s saccharine script and the younger target audience. Get On Up allows Boseman to display a versatile talent–anger, ego, regret, and inspiration–reflective of James Brown’s multiple personas, but steers clear of the raunchy elements so pervasive, for example, in Ray.

We see the Hardest Working Man in Show Business up close and personal. We see Brown’s mastery of both the “show” and the “business” as he pioneered his own personal industry. We see his overwhelming ego, for which there is no corrective punishment. We see his musical talent break through in a surprisingly moving scene where Brown works out the snare-drum beat for “Cold Sweat.” We even get a glimpse of Brown’s role in American race relations–quelling a rowdy crowd at a Boston concert following Dr. King’s assassination and growing an afro in support of the “Black is Beautiful” movement.

Get On Up is, in a word, fun. Much like Brown’s music, the film exudes the funk. The fourth wall is broken a few times, sometimes with Boseman speaking directly to the camera, and at others an adoption of the hilarious blank stare perfected in The Office. Avoiding a linear storyline, Brown’s story is told flashing back and forth between his adult life and his formative years in Georgia. The episodes documenting his youth feature the milestones–his adolescence as a poor country boy, his mother leaving him, being taken in by an aunt who runs a brothel, his encounter with a charismatic church. We see the potential roots of Brown’s severe independence, his aloofness (always preferring to be called Mr. Brown), and most importantly his love for music.

An unfortunate parallel is between Mr. Brown and his father. Domestic violence and even sexualized marital conflict are seen in both men’s lives, not to mention a predilection to adultery (or at least alluded to). Another theme is how Brown seems to be predestined for greatness. After he overcomes his humble beginnings, nothing can stop him. It’s written in the stars, set by Fate.

Trying to encapsulate all of James Brown into a movie is a tall order and many will find things to criticize. Some may find that the movie may perhaps be just too fun, with only the occasional dark moments when his childhood comes crowding in. But ultimately, I feel like the film has an air of sadness to it. You pity Brown for having no real relationships. It always seemed like it was James Brown on his own. The closest relationships he has are Bobby Byrd (Nelsan Ellis), an original member of the Famous Flames, and Ben Bart (Dan Akroyd), his promoter. Bobby has a tumultuous relationship with Brown and eventually leaves. Ben (“Popps”) dies suddenly on a golf course. In this way, the moral universe in Get On Up is more a subtext than anything. It’s a musical universe of grooving and moving that testifies to the enduring legacy of Brown’s talent to still emotionally affect us.

And one cannot end a review of Get On Up without mentioning the music. All the greatest hits are featured: “I Got You (I Feel Good),” “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” and more. Although the musical recordings are of John Brown, Boseman’s stage presence and pizzazz makes the filmed performances really look as if they are being recorded live. The facial close-ups, the crazy dance moves, the manhandling of the microphone stand–it’s all there. You don’t realize until the end how much footage is actually dedicated to the stage performances, perhaps a tribute to James Brown’s oft-repeated notion that to understand him all you need to do is listen to his music. All you need to do is feel the funk.

Previous Post

July 28, 2014

'Teach Us to Want' Teaches Us to Pray

Next Post

August 8, 2014 Calvary: A Passion Week of his own

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Action AFI Top 100 Animation Best Picture Winner BFI Top 250 Biography Biopic Books Childrens Christian Classics Classics Comedy Crime Documentary Drama Editor's Choice Family Fantasy Fantasy Films Foreign Historical Historical Fiction History Horror Horror IMDB Top 250 Indie Memoir Modern Novel Musical Mystery Non-Fiction Oscars Philosophy Poetry Popular Literature Reading and Writing Reality Romance Science Fiction Science Fiction Silent Sports Thriller TV Show Uncategorized Western Westerns Young Adult

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 June 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the Greek word 'Logos' mean in the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Grace Truth Life Word