Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World by Wil Haywood is a 2021 Knopf publication.

Wil Haywood has written a study of the history and struggle of black cinema, starting in the silent era and bringing us right up to present day.

Beginning with ‘A Birth of a Nation’ and the protest surrounding it, Haywood takes us on a journey through the decades, featuring not only the films, but the triumphs, setbacks, and the continual struggle for recognition and acknowledgement.

This is a very in-depth history, and contains a wealth of obscure, behind the scenes information, alongside familiar faces, films, producers and directors.

The book is a little chunky- as it does go over an entire century’s worth of material, but it’s a smooth, easy read and goes by quickly.

I was very interested in the older history, especially, because it was mostly new material for me- but of course, I did enjoy reading about the players I recognized, learning more about their career launches, the struggles they encountered, and the impact they made on cinema and on history.

Haywood gives a wonderful presentation, with organization, and research. The book does seem to run out of steam towards the end, with fewer opportunities for little-known insights, that aren't still fresh in our memories.

That said, this is a fabulous piece of cinematic history, which includes a segment of photographs, notes, Bibliography, and illustrated credits.

For me, there were some nice memories in here. I was reminded of some movies I have not watched in a long time, while learning a great deal about those movies I didn’t know.

But more importantly, the book chronicles the contributions of black artists and black films, the racism, politics, and social themes involved, through the years, while continuing to battle some of these same issues today- one century later.

Overall, this is an informative, fascinating book, all fans of history and the cinema will want to experience.

4 stars ( )