2020 · 94 min · Drama, Music, Historical
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is George C. Wolfe's electric adaptation of August Wilson's celebrated play, set during a 1920s Chicago recording session with the real blues legend Ma Rainey. Viola Davis commands the screen as the imperious Ma Rainey, while Chadwick Boseman delivers a heartbreaking final performance as the ambitious, conflicted trumpet player Levee Green. The film was dedicated to Boseman after his death in 2020.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom streams on Netflix.
Yes. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was Chadwick Boseman's final film before his death from colon cancer in August 2020. His performance as Levee earned him a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
The film is based on August Wilson's 1982 play. Ma Rainey was a real blues singer known as the 'Mother of the Blues.' The recording session and the character of Levee are fictional.
The film won Academy Awards for Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman were both nominated in acting categories.
The film runs approximately 94 minutes.