described Rosewood as Singleton's finest work, writing, "Never in the history of American film had Southern racist hysteria been shown so clearly. Color, class and sex were woven together on a level that Faulkner would have appreciated." E.R. Shipp in The New York Times suggests that Singleton's youth and his background in California contributed to his willingness to take on the story of Rosewood. She notes Singleton's rejection of the image of blacks as victims and portrayal of "an idyllic past in which black families are intact, loving and prosperous, and a black superhero who changes the course of history when he escapes the noose, takes on the mob with double-barreled ferocity and saves many women and children from death". Shipp commented on Singleton's creating a fictional account of Rosewood events, saying that the film "assumes a lot and then makes up a lot more". The film version alludes to many more deaths than the highest counts by eyewitnesses. Journalist Gary Moore, who reported the events in 1982, breaking open decades of silence, believed that Singleton's creating Mann, an outside character who inspires the citizens of Rosewood to fight back, was condescending to survivors. He also criticized the inflated death toll, saying the film was "an interesting experience in illusion". In retrospect, Gregory Poirier, who wrote the film said: “Rosewood didn’t do much box office. The reviews were generally good, and Siskel and Ebert raved about it, but John [Singleton] was right; it was in many ways too difficult to watch, a chapter of American history most Americans don’t want to be confronted with. Director John Singleton said:“People say it's violent. I don't think it is, and certainly not as violent as it was being there. I wanted to make you feel you were there. But then maybe Americans are afraid of it because of their own racial problems. They're all fucked up over race, you know.“ See also Banished References Bibliography D'Orso, Michael. Like Judgement Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a Town Called Rosewood. [S.l.]: Boulevard, 1996. Rosewood. Dir. John Singleton. Perf. Ving Rhames and Jon Voight. Warner Bros., 1997. DVD. External links Official website "The Real Rosewood", Display for Schools Interview with director John Singleton, Charlie Rose Show 1997 films 1997 action films 1990s historical films 1990s action drama films Action films based on actual events Drama films based on actual events Films directed by John Singleton