Movies at the Museum: Literary Classics, Adapted Modern

 

A good story can be endlessly reimagined. In this summer’s film series, Aspen Film and the AAM present three films that adapt classic literary works through a modern lens. These cinematic stories are infused with bold artistic expression, and ultimately reveal the human desire across time and cultures to make sense of our world. Each film stands as a unique work while connecting to larger allegories told from the ancient world through to the recent release of Native Son (2019), directed by AAM-exhibiting artist Rashid Johnson.

About the Film
Native Son (2019)
Directed by Rashid Johnson
Rated TV-MA
104 min
 

In his feature film debut, Rashid Johnson finds a transcendent new life for Richard Wright’s pivotal novel, Native Son. Bigger “Big” Thomas is portrayed by Ashton Sanders as an outsider, an Afro-punk young man struggling to find his place in society. When he finds a job as a chauffeur for a wealthy family, it sets in motion a devastating chain of events. What follows is a heartbreaking and still-relevant revival Wright’s original story.