Educational Media Reviews Online

Loudmouth is a biopic focused on the Reverend Al Sharpton, one that functions as a polemic to explain and correct some of the public narratives that exist about him. The film shows Sharpton embracing the moniker of Loudmouth and articulating his role as someone who “blows up” stories (i.e. elevates them to a higher level of national consciousness to spur public action). Storytelling is the theme that emerges again and again throughout the film, which begins with a quote from Michel-Rolph Trouillot about history being both the facts of events and the narrative about them. The central function of this documentary is to provide both the facts and a narrative surrounding some of the most publicized episodes of activism in Reverend Sharpton’s life.

The film comprises vignettes from Sharpton’s history of activism, switching back and forth between historical footage and the present day and lingering on several of the high-profile cases, including Howard Beach, George Floyd, and Tawana Brawley. While those events are focal points, the film doesn’t have concrete segments, flipping back and forth between the present and the past and between different events. Compositionally, this reinforces a feeling that each case is connected to a broader experience of injustice within the American system, and that each case affects the next. This is an intentional message: Sharpton punctuates the end of the documentary by arguing that Derek Chauvin’s conviction in the George Floyd case shows that progress has been made and that the decades long fights of activists such as himself have had a measurable impact.

At times, the film takes on a more defensive tone, talking about Sharpton’s lifestyle and arguing that he does a lot of actions to support people that are not publicized. The intent is to humanize Sharpton and to blunt the argument that he exploits people for political gain, and while the execution within the film is awkward, it does effectively show that his support for the people he helps extends far beyond what the public sees.

As an educational tool, this film has a lot of potential as the subject of a project, assigned homework for viewing for exploring the nature of activism, and for classes delving into the African American experience. While the film is a polemic, it is also a valuable insight into the mind of a public figure and would be a must-see for anyone studying or writing on Al Sharpton. The composition and length of the film makes it difficult to clip use in class, as it was segmented in such a way as to not have cohesive sections that could be cut out and shown without losing a lot of meaning. Overall, this film is rated as recommended.

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