Review of The Banker

A film about Black capitalists in the 1960s, Joe Morris (Jackson) and Bernard S. Garrett Sr. The two men succeed in the real estate business in Los Angeles through their intelligence and hard work, and then go on to buy a bank back in Garrett's home town in Texas. They know this isn't a good business decision but - particularly Garrett - are motivated because they can see how it will help hardworking members of the Black community, who can't get loans to buy homes or invest in their businesses. They are helped by a young white man, depicted as utterly devoid of racism ("I don't care what colour you are, as long as your dollars are green"), who fronts various businesses for them, even though he starts out not knowing anything about money or finance...some of the film works in the way that the TV show 'Faking It' used to, by showing how it's possible to coach someone into appearing to know stuff that others have spent a lifetime acquiring.

The film is about racism, of course, but it's also about capitalism, and the message seems to be that the latter is the opposite of the former - capitalism, exemplified by thrift and hard work, is the best opportunity for Black people to rise. Even though this is the time of the Black Panthers and Malcolm X, there's no sign that anyone else has a different strategy. In California racism is represented by the slightly snooty disdain with which conventional bankers won't meet with Garrett, and the social prejudice of an older white woman (with a Southern accent) in the first building that Garrett buys. In general racism is a thing that happens back in Texas. Even when it all goes wrong it's not because of white backlash against Black-owned capitalism, but rather the political machinations of a Senator who wants to tighten up banking regulations.

Enjoyable to watch, and with good music, but I couldn't help being disatissfied with the underlying message.

Watched via informal distribution, despite the fact that this is apparently exclusive to Apple TV.