MARCH 28, 2008 - VOL. 1, ISSUE 8

They scoff, they laugh, and they walk away. Even though they aren't being given a voice in the government or a fair chance in the world, the black community is too concerned with material possessions to consider a life in the perfect world. But Sun Ra can’t understand it—they're invisible to their white counterparts, so why won't they go with him? He doesn't seem to mind; he just smiles and goes on with the "hiring" process, donning his Egyptian headdress.

That particular scene shows the conflict in Space Is the Place, the greatest blaxploitation meets science fiction film of all time. The film deals with two components, which are generally known as good and evil. In this film, they are Sun Ra, "the alter destiny," and the Overseer, the pimp overlord. Frankly, it's a struggle between a utopian society and the need for money and material things.

To understand the film, you should probably know some background information on the film's star and co-writer. Sun Ra isn't only the name of the character—it's actually the man's name. Ra was one of the great jazz artists of his time. He introduced a lot of experimental cosmic jazz that later influenced today's electronic music. His music was strange, futuristic, and free-flowing. He is also notorious for his "trip to Saturn," which he firmly believes truly happened. In short, he was a very interesting character.

The movie takes place in Chicago in the year 1974. Ra's message in the movie, as well as in his everyday life, is that black people are commonly ignored and disregarded in the world, specifically in American culture. He wants to send them to another planet with his music, his belief being that the power of music can transport us to another planet. The journey would take them to a place where they could form a utopian society, devoid of hatred or the hardships that the white community and American government were putting forth on the black community. In the essay "Bopera Theory," Amiri Baraka said, "Music goes more deeply into the spirit than words; music is a living creature, a human intellectual and emotional creation with a readily apparent spirituality that transcends the visible word of its creators." It's true. Music is more powerful than even the musician can comprehend. With Ra and his Arkestra going at full steam, you can see that they believe in the power of music in the cosmos.

The Overseer, played by Raymond Johnson, is trying to distract the community from Ra's message, averting their attention with whores, alcohol, and parties. His character brings the "blaxploitation" aspect into the film—complete with nudity, a pimp suit, and a Cadillac.

Ultimately, The Overseer and Ra try at every turn to get the best of the other. In the end, Ra and his Arkestra manage to transport the select few who follow him to outer space, leaving behind The Overseer and his non-believers. As they leave the planet, it explodes.

If you can't tell, this is one of the strangest films to come out of the Black Arts Movement, yet it's also one of the best. Ra frequently says in the movie that he is from space, but he doesn’t give an extravagant performance. It's as though he's saying, "You know, I'd really enjoy a cup of tea right about now." In reality, he says, "My kingdom is the kingdom of darkness and blackness, and none can enter except those of the black spirit." He couldn’t be more subdued in his delivery.

The most astounding thing in the film isn't the dialogue or the plot, but the visuals. The costumes and scenery in the film characterize the conflicts and contrasts in the film. The contrast between Ra's message and The Overseer's attempts to thwart him and it can all be seen in the clothes they wear. Ra and the Arkestra are completely decked out with ancient Egyptian imagery while The Overseer and his followers are all typical junkies, pimps, and whores straight out of Superfly.

Only a few people believe in Ra's peaceful message of a utopian society where black people can live in harmony. Even those who have it the worst, like the homeless man who comes in looking for a job, won't accept it unless he gets money for liquor. The need for material things greatly outweighs the need for peace and respect.

Is this what capitalism has done? Has the United States become so concerned with cars, drugs, liquor and sex that the thought of a utopian society is laughable? But it's true—if the average American was asked to give up their collection of material things in order to live in a world John Lennon talks about in "Imagine," he or she would laugh. It's like the 1900s said, "Everybody's got a collection you know they would never sell, / They just leave it on the shelf." I'd certainly just stare Ra in his calm, nearly emotionless face and laugh. Wouldn't you? It isn't that we don't want utopia, we're just conditioned to know that such a thing doesn't exist.

Ra is one of the masters of jazz music, and with this movie, one of the masters of sci-fi. The visuals in the film uphold the black aesthetic that was so important to the Black Arts Movement—afros and spaceships alike. The movie is split in half—half sci-fi and half Blaxploitation. Although there is gratuitous nudity, it serves its purpose by showing the priorities of the people: short-term pleasure over long-term harmony.