One Day the Sun Turned Black. When this happened the world was turned upside down, and life as we know it was gone forever. In this world, where things are significantly darker than usual, white people must pigment their skin or face the consequences–death. One young lady, Harmony (Shavonna Banks), chooses to change the color of her skin, but her father, Max (Dan Berkey), refuses. This is their story.
Interestingly, a film centered entirely around the idea of race doesn’t beat the topic to death. What could have become racially divisive drivel quickly transforms into something more approachable and relatable. I anticipated, just given the short synopsis provided on IMDB, that One Day the Sun Turned Black would be racially tense, and viewers would, depending which side of the line they fall on regarding the ongoing tensions in the United States, either love or hate this film. But a narrative about love and togetherness is what ultimately rises to the surface and intrigues viewers. Writer-director Joe Lueben quickly makes this transition, and I believe it was a necessary one that allowed the film to thrive.
There is something incredibly strange about the lighting of One Day the Sun Turned Black. It’s difficult to see from time to time (which makes sense considering the state of the world in the film), but it plays a role in how viewers absorb the content as well, and I’m not sure that this aspect of the film will always receive positive feedback. While the darkness that transcends the film does its job of adding to the suspense and intensity of One Day the Sun Turned Black, it makes it difficult to see certain aspects of the film–and I began to lose focus at times.
On paper Banks and Berkey don’t seem like they should have tons of chemistry, but the two talented actors possess a chemistry that exists throughout the entirety of One Day the Sun Turned Black. While a good portion of the film sees the two characters as separate entities, if their chemistry fails at any point throughout the film, I think that the film as a whole fails as well. As One Day the Sun Turned Black plays out, the two leads are tasked with convincing the world that they are father and daughter, but more importantly that their relationship is genuine. I could feel the emotional connection between the two as they conversed, and I believed that the two shared a bond akin to a real life parent and child–expressing just how talented the two actors are.
I find it very interesting that One Day the Sun Turned Black came across my desk during a time of racial tension and the political divide regarding whether or not people should get the vaccine (I don’t even have to specify which one, because everyone knows). While One Day the Sun Turned Black dabbles more in the field of race, the parallel between the film’s narrative and the vaccine discussion is uncanny. Who should have to change the color of their skin? Will changing the color of your skin really save you from death? And are the people pushing for others to change the color of your skin trying to help, or are they just looking for power? These are the exact same questions we are asking ourselves regarding the vaccination four years after the release of One Day the Sun Turned Black. The relevance of this film’s narrative (somewhat by accident) leads to a massive group of viewers being able to connect with what Lueben has to say.
The relevant narrative and the superb acting lend themselves to success, but there are certainly issues in terms of the lighting. I certainly understand the purpose, but when all is said and done, the visual clarity of One Day the Sun Turned Black is sometimes poor. This in no means causes the film to fall apart, but it causes viewers to struggle from time to time with their overall reception of the film. Lueben seems to know exactly what he wants to say, but he also knows how not to antagonize his viewers too much. He has a firm grasp on the realities of filmmaking, and he appears to have established himself as a unique filmmaker with his development of One Day the Sun Turned Black.
Written & Directed by Joe Lueben.
Starring Shavonna Banks, Dan Berkey, Gys de Villiers, Claire Simba, Kiana Kountze, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comments