Sadly, one of the Great Ossie Davis' last films. Proud enlightened the viewers of the group of many people of that era that cast a blow to the downfall of segregation within the United States. Showing that we all are citizens, no matter what the color. I only have heard of the hardships endured of many Black Americans within the military. Now I was able to view first hand through this informative film. It is a film that I would recommend history classes to see the accomplishments that have been made throughout the growth of the United States. This film has brought to life the forgotten and shameful history of the USA. Many youth of today a blind to America's history and embarrassing past. Enjoy the Movie, Juan (Elmira, NY)
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grnwd8 April 2007Just saw 'Proud" on a tape last night and didn't know that there was an all black enlisted man crew on a U.S. Navy ship during WWII. Maybe the acting and direction left something to be desired, but the message came across loud and clear.
I enlisted in the Marines at the age of 17, right after WWII was over. In the 3 years I served, I never saw a black Marine. I understood there were some black Marines that served in service and supply units, but they did not go through boot camp with white Marines and were completely segregated from us.
On the Navy ships I boarded, the only black sailors I ever saw were messmen and stewards in the galley and they kept pretty much to themselves. In 1948, when the armed forces were desegregated, I still didn't notice any difference in the racial makeup of our outfit. At the time I didn't think anything of it, but in hindsight, it was an awful way to treat black Americans. I'm glad that era is over. -
planktonrules16 June 2014The story of the USS Mason and its crew is well worth telling. So, the subject matter for this film was not the issue. My reason for giving it a mediocre score has a lot more to do with the final portion of the film--one that was handled in a sloppy and heavy-handed manner.
The film begins with an old man (Ossie Davis) sitting down with his grown grandson and his friends and talking about the old days. Soon, he begins talking about his experience as a crewman on the USS Mason--one of only two black-manned ships that saw action during WWII. He explained that back in the day, the armed forces were not integrated and black guys in the Navy could only serve as cooks or orderlies. However, someone had the idea of having ships manned with black crews--black crews that had an all-white officer corp in charge. It's funny, but this is the same way the film "Glory" went--but that was 80 years earlier--you would have hoped that times would have changed!
What follows is a prolonged flashback scene--with actors portraying the crew of the Mason. This is by far the best part of the film and showed their bravery as well as the crap they had to put up with due to race prejudice. Their story is inspiring and I wish more of the film was devoted to it.
The final portion of the film is set in the present--and shows the efforts of the old man and his grandson to get the US government to recognize the contributions of the Mason's crew. This was a nice epilogue BUT it was ruined, for me, by the silly characters and writing- -particularly the character of the son. His actions and dialog made no sense whatsoever and was embarrassingly badly handled. What had been an inspiring story was made trite due to the writing and acting here. It's a shame. Perhaps there is a documentary out there on the subject--as this semi-ficitonalized story just seemed very poorly written at times and the dialog made me cringe towards the end. The men of the Mason deserve a better tribute than this. -
This is an independent feature telling the story of average men, caught performing heroic acts in a time of war. These men served their country, performed numerous duties to help a convoy succeed in its mission to bring supplies to England. Men had died during this trip across the Atlantic, not to mention getting caught in one of the worst storms in this century, dubbed "the storm of the century during wartime".
These men were supposed to have received commendations for their numerous acts of bravery. The Commander of the convoy, Alfred Lind, wrote those recommendations (ultimately found in naval archives), but they were never given. Why? This was the only ship in the Navy that had black sailors serving on it, which was sent into combat during World War II (the other 11,000 black sailors served in menial jobs). Those same men that served their country couldn't even buy a hot dog on the pier.
Those recommendations were written because the men deserved them. They were never awarded because it was during a time when the color of a their skin somehow disqualified them.
Our society still has a way to go. Hopefully this story helps pave the way for future generations to achieve color blindness. -
Homer90017 July 2006If you are looking for a rousing sea tale and men against the sea, don't bother. However, if you want to learn about a ship whose crew was an experiment set up to fail and their efforts that succeeded against all odds, then please watch. It is a simple tale really, told with great passion by the late Ossie Davis, himself a veteran of WWII.
I'm sure it would have been more exciting with Jerry Bruckheimer loud and overblown production values and CGI effects; that would have added nothing to this heartwarming true story.
SPOILER ALERT: At the end, you get to meet some of the real men of the USS Mason, DE529 through a reenactment of a Navy award ceremony over 50 years late and through actual footage of the new USS Mason at a port-of-call in NYC in 2003. END ALERT.
This is a tale about honor, sacrifice and family and how it overcame bigotry. It is a tale that does not end, but must be worked on by each generation. And to those that complained about the shameful history of the US, some of it is, and some of it is glorious, like these men and their ship. -
puptch24 December 2006I watched this movie last night and was a bit disappointed. A lot of the "time facts" were off. At the beginning of the movie, the grandfather made a comment to this grandson and his friends about how they felt when 9-11 hit. This movie was supposed to be taking place in 1994. Also, one of the grandsons friends was wearing an Eagles Donovan McNabb jersey. He hadn't even been drafted as of yet. The story line was good but the facts and actuality of the time frame was so far off base that it made the movie seem cheesy. My boyfriend is an avid reader of WWII books and memorabilia. I rented this movie hoping that it would be good. The acting was so-so. The dog was cute. But the way that this movie was carried out made me glad that I only paid 4 dollars to rent it as opposed to the 50 it would have taken me to watch it in a theater. I hope that who ever reads this understands that I mean no discontent to those who fought the war but the facts and time frame should have been a little more closely monitored.
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mediawatch-116 March 2008I enjoyed the movie. Despite the low budget and a foreigner that said he did not know there was discrimination in the American military this film is worth watching. A proper last film for Ossie Davis. With all the violent shoot em up movies out, this should be seen by young people alike. With the exception of Mr Davis and veteran actress Denise Nicholas the group of newcomers performed great. Shooting on location in Ireland added a touch that gave you the impression that you were actually there. Add to that actual footage of the ceremony honoring the crew of the USS Mason for their service to the country. May someone continue to produce these stories without worry of not being Oscar material. Bravo.
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mrc555512 August 2006This movie had good intentions and a good story to work with. The director and screenwriter of this movie failed miserably and created a dull, boring filmstrip that made me feel like I was back in Mr. Hartford's 8th grade Social Studies class -- way back in 67.
What a waste, will somebody please take this story and make a real movie out of it - the story deserves it.
Every time a scene had potential, all we were left with were a few clichés, combined with black and white footage that they probably got from The History Channel to show the action. Shameful.
Ossie Davis was the only bright light in this dull fest. The other acting was incredibly dull - it fit in with the movie well and whomever played the Captain set a new low standard for line delivery.
However, if you are willing to accept all the numerous flaws in this movie and aren't concerned with being awed or entertained, but want to learn about the USS Mason, it is worth a watch. -
macsjoint16 October 2006I've been interested in history, especially WWII, for some time. I thought I knew a lot about it but this is a story of which I had never heard. The all Black crew of the USS Mason fought two battles, one against an enemy of their country and the other against the enemy within their country -- and they won them both. They won the second well after World War II and, in a sense, they're still fighting it since that enemy will never go away.
I must admit that if Ossie Davis hadn't been in the cast, I probably wouldn't even have looked at the cover. He was and I did. Lorenzo DuFau (Ossie Davis who performed him), his people and all of us have great reason to be Proud. Their story is one which should be made available to people of all races and faiths and even those in other countries as well. It's an example of what man can do and will do if necessary to save their homes, their countries and themselves. Excellent job. Here's some more info on DE 529: http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/5290/ -
rb-2114 February 2007I will give it a 3 just because it showed history that we need to know about, to prevent it from happening again. I agree with the comments from the gentleman from UK. The movie was pretty terrible. All cliché, no real plot. Historical and technical inaccuracies abound. Look up the technical specs on DE 529, or any Everts class Destroyer Escort, and you will see what I mean. I now its black history month in the US, and Im going to be called a racist just for saying this, but the history of this ship is not that great. They did some escort work, chased a "submarine" that turned out to be a hulk that they rammed. Sorry, but black people did a lot more in WWII then this silly movie gives them credit for. This movie makes them look like whiners. Let the name calling commence, I can handle it.
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kwiatkennelsab14 April 2005We went to see Proud at the High Falls Film Fest.in Nov.04 I would have to say I loved the movie, as my dog "Boris"- KWIAT BORIS THE L.A.V abull ONE, was cast in the film and played "Horace". We were so "Proud" of our boy. Boris remained very professional on the set, and the media attention did NOT go to his head. I will rejoice the day the movie makes it to the big screen, as all of our friends and relatives still think we are full of bologna. Aside from that, the movie was well over due, and it was great to finally see the gentlemen of this ship receive the recognition.
Warmly, Tracy -
cassopian6 April 2006Full marks for the content of this film, as a Brit I was not aware that there was segregation in the US Navy during WWII. A very brave attempt to bring this fact to the world. However, the movie is pathetic, direction is non existent, the acting is wooden and the script is just one cliché after another. I can honestly say that this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I sat and cringed from the start until the end at the very poor way that this had been put together. This could have been a great movie, the story for many of us outside of the US was new, unique and also interesting. The sad fact of the matter is the way that it was put together. It is unfortunate that a true story like this, which could have changed people's attitudes, has been squandered on a low budget, badly directed movie. I only hope that some time in the future, one of the major studios will take this theme and do it justice.
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dan-13363 March 2007As a WWII naval history buff, and someone who is not proud of this country's history of race relations, I was looking forward to seeing this movie. What a disappointing piece of schlock. I made it about 3/4 of the way through, but I should have turned it off at the sub attack scene. The idea that a U-boat would fire a torpedo at a DDE, as if there was a hope of hitting it, and then be able to "run away" from the DDE while submerged, is preposterous. And that's just a small detail. The whole movie was poorly written, poorly directed, and poorly acted. I agree with others on this board that this could have been a good movie. It's as if they decided that, since all those crappy WWII propaganda films were made with all-white casts, they needed to make one with black people. And as bad as those old movies were, this is actually worse. And it almost smacks of false advertising to headline Ossie Davis and Stephen Rea. It turns out they had very minor roles. I have to believe those two fine actors were embarrassed to be associated with this film. I'm done. I've given way too much of my life this crap movie.
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anubistcp4 June 2006Working at a video store I get to see quite a few movies and on occasion I try to watch some of the not so big movies. Proud happened to be one of them. The initial idea of telling of the story of a primarily black crewed ship during WWII had some merit. However in less than 10 minutes of watching the movie you find out that the primary point of the movie was to tell about racial tension in WWII. The underlying story is about the ship, the crew and their exploits in the war. This primary point is hammered at you to the point of excessiveness all throughout the movie. I commend the men that served on the USS Mason for their triumph in the face of adversity and for the hardships that they endured. A movie should have been made focusing on the accomplishments these men did for themselves, the Navy and for their country and not making a movie whose focus is racism during WWII.
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This is one of the best films i have ever watched i attended it in An Creggan not far from my house i had the pleasure of spending the weekend talking to Mr. Dufau *not sure on the spelling* well to be perfectly honest i had no idea whatsoever on what WWII would have been like as i am only young and don't have a clue on the troubles back then...
i was speaking to Mr. Dufau personally and it was heartwarming to speak to him as he is so positive and kindhearted i also no Mary Pat Kelly as she is married to my cousin.. she has done a fantastic job of this film..and should be very "PROUD"
the hole point of this was not to highlight all the commotion and deaths it was all the discrimination towards the black's/coloured which was absolutely dreadful
"RIP OSSIE DAVIS"
this film should be released in the cinema's allover the world!! -
TheEmulator2318 January 2008This is a great story and was just the beginning of equality in the United States. (We are still working on it too.) However despite the fact this is true, it's still a movie and this is a movie site. I realize independent films have a hard time getting good actors, but wow. The only one even mediocre is the excellent Ossie Davis. But even he couldn't make up for all the actors (including the one playing him as a young man) absolutely atrocious acting. Granted the script was terribly cliché, but even then you have got to get some decent actors! I wouldn't recommend this to anybody because it is so poorly done in every category. Read some books about the true story of the U.S.S Mason, because they give these men the respect they deserve.
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This movie was poorly written, poorly researched, and was a slap in the face of all US sailors in World War II. The white and blue uniforms for the non-rated men were missing the section stripe that went around the shoulder, and petty officers dress uniforms had the rating insignias sewn in the center of the arm instead of the back of the insignia touching the center crease. Also, the rating insignias worn was not the style worn during WW II, but the style that came out about 2003; actually about 58 years after the war. The chief petty officer's cap insignia was just pinned on the cap cover and not on the cap band. The band was just a straight black band until 1947, when the backing for the insignia was included. The officers' shoulder boards should have been flat instead of curved; another post-war introduction. Plus the officers would not have worn their dress jackets at sea, especially in a war zone.
I need to quit because there were too many errors in this movie to spend my time entering. Suffice it to say that this movie will entertain people who have never been around sailors, but not naval historians or veterans. -
BIOSphereopts3 April 2010As with most who have commented on this movie, it just left me deflated. The story itself is what I was interested in, unfortunately it was told with bad acting, blandness, and a disjointed flow. After the first 15 minutes one gets a sense that the movie was put together in a hurry. The film also splices in some stock footage which appeared to be more of an attempt to flesh out budget constraints than to add significance to the historical nature of the film.
I was hoping to use this film as part of a history lesson, but with some of the flaws already mentioned, I would have lost a bit of credibility.
I would however, like to see this story re-made with the dignity it deserves. -
istari-622 January 2015A story about most interesting times told in a most uninteresting way.
The movie feels more like a political propaganda than anything else. Awfully primitive characters, boring lines full of tearful speeches and excessive use of voice-over just add to the effect. Characters are so simple and so wonderful, always smiling, clean and nice, so perfect in every way that it's almost a parody. There is hardly anything happening in the movie. No twists in the plot, no surprises. Characters are either good or bad, like in a child book. No room for dilemmas. Nothing to think about, no challenges for the viewer. Everything is obvious.
Racism is bad, patriotism is good - that's basically the entire movie. I'm not kidding, it's all.
It's as if the script was written by 12 years old idealistic American boy. It's not a movie, it's a commercial.
So, if you didn't know before that racism is bad and hate movies to make you think or give you hard problems to ponder about, then by all means watch "Proud".
In any other case stay away. It's a complete waste of time. -
lastliberal17 May 2008The movie itself was nothing to crow abut. The acting was not anything noteworthy, but the story is one that needs to be told and so this movie should probably be shown in every US History class in our schools.
Segregation is a part of our culture and a part of our military. President Lincoln may have freed the slaves, but it was until President Johnson that African Americans were truly made equal.
I knew that there were all black units with white officers in the military, but was not aware of a ship composed of African American, nor of their history. The fact that this movie was made serves the cause of equality and was good for that. -
user-415-1333743 March 2016I really respect what the filmmakers were trying to do with this film, but the execution of the story is far from reality. The movie first begins by displaying Harlem, New York City, as an idealistic place to live with children playing happily in the streets with a strong sense of community. Poverty and hardship are nowhere to be found and the film thus does a disservice and misses an opportunity to show the hardships which urban African American kids must face growing up in large cities.
Some of the scenes in the film are also clearly intended to depict the U.S. military of the Second World War on the verge of a race riot. One particular scene shows a group of white sailors mocking the ribbons and insignia of a black counterpart, then having a Chief Petty Officer walk by in dismissal at the fight which is about to break out. In reality, the U.S. Navy of World War II was very sensitive to race issues and no Chief or officer would ever have willing let a racial charged fight break out on a Navy base.
The entourage of Ozzie Davis's character also includes well mannered, highly educated young black men one of whom is a PhD candidate. Again we miss the chance to see what urban life does to the young African Americans and the educational opportunities which are sometimes robbed because of life in a tough neighborhood.
A respectful film, but it is unfortunately far from reality.