Life Through the Lens: Shoveling coal on the Titanic
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"Turn the other cheek? That ain’t really working, is it?"
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Ready for some facts? No, not a "fax." I said "facts."
The Titanic was powered by coal - 6,000 tons of coal, that is. That is 12 million pounds of coal! The Titanic's 29 boilers burned 600 tons of coal a day to produce 46,000 horsepower (is it just me or is that a lot of horses?). Three hundred workers shoveled coal continuously into the fiery furnaces, now colloquially coined "The Black Gang" due to the extreme conditions that relentlessly covered their bodies in dust and soot. Even if the voyage was successful, these gents would have sunk … health-wise, that is.
After the disastrous killer ice cube, only four of these men survived. It seems most of the men stayed below deck to continue working - shoveling, transporting and tending to the fires. Without coal combustion, the pumps and power would cease. They quite literally fed the dying beast until it succumbed to the sea.
"Shoveling coal on the Titanic" - sometimes that's what it feels like. Change is needed, yet the progress is so slow or nonexistent that you might as well be shoveling coal on the Titanic. Your labors are doomed. Your energy is futile. Your passion is pointless. You bust your butt … yet the ship is still sinking.
I have no practical advice - life sometimes just feels like that.
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In 1966, America is sinking. There are considerable efforts being made to right the ship, but the general feeling is hopelessness. The water level of hatred and violence continues to rise as the agents of equality and peace continue to shovel coal. Simply shovel coal. What more can you do?
After yet another prominent civil rights activist is killed in Mississippi, drastic action must be taken - shoveling coal will result in nothing more than eventual ocean-bottom wreckage. In desperation, the FBI reaches out to a … non-traditional agent: notorious mob enforcer Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg). He will do what the law cannot/will not; he will bust and break until answers are gained.
To assist Scarpa in strategically crackin' some skulls, the FBI appoints local Black agent Wayne Strider (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Although he is untested, Strider is passionate and persistent … but is he willing to bend the rules he promised to uphold?
As the two men begin to investigate, it becomes clear that Scarpa's "by-any-means-necessary" tactics do not mesh with Strider's yearning for judicial justice. If they cannot work together in a corrupt and rigged game, ground can never be retaken, and change will never be grasped. What'd I say about shoveling coal again?
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"By Any Means" is a typical movie in many ways. The formula is evident: true story, period piece, heavy prosthetics, racial intolerance, etc. With all of that being said, I was pleasantly surprised. There was something a bit different about "By Any Means" - something that the formula films miss out on: radical desperation. Instead of the "high road" eventually proving more wholesome and effective, this movie justifies the "low road." Sometimes it is the only way to stop shoveling coal.
I am usually an "MLK Jr." type of guy … but the "Malcolm X" in me enjoyed running loose for a while.
Director Elegance Bratton managed the movie well. The time period was established without sacrificing momentum or urgency. The thin line between "right" and "necessary" was carefully curated. The screenplay by Sascha Penn was tight enough to keep the story moving forward, the characters developed enough to add fuel. The ending could have used a bit more, but true stories are often underwhelming in terms of "closure."
I would typically see the name "Mark Wahlberg" and decidedly tune out. Sure, he has some talent, but it usually isn't enough for me. This time, though, Wahlberg was precise and sharp! His performance as Scarpa was unhinged yet carefully crafted, flirting with parody but consistently returning to power. Abdul-Mateen was steady and imposing as agent Strider. I have seen him in movies before but never with so much command and staying power.
I wouldn't call this a "masterpiece," but I will recommend it. "By Any Means" can be seen in theaters right now.
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REPORT CARD: By Any Means
Grade: B
Assessment: Dark and violent enough to be convincing