Product: Space Is the Place [VHS] (1974)
Rating: 4.0
More Archetypal Than Archestral
I picked up this curious period piece of psychedelic, indie-fueled moviemaking some time ago. Sorry now I waited so long to view it. It's a delightful combination of '70's pop culture, science fiction fantasy, Sun Ra musical storytelling through his Inter-Galactical Outer Space Archestra, and black pride allegory that manages to be quite on point.Initially, I was too fascinated by the imagery and music to think much about any message. In retrospect, Sun Ra is a spiritual being from a space colony playing chess with an earthly demonic pimpmaster for big stakes: the souls of exploited people, black (mostly) and white. The pimpmaster also plays the system, selling his black brothers and sisters to addiction and prostitution for his own pleasure, trapping them in an oppressive, seemingly inescapable existence. A third main character is the media commentator--Jimmy Fay--who seems to be a shill for the pimpmaster and his worldly culture but eventually comes around (perhaps more John the Baptist than Jesus Christ) to sharing the enlightened message of Sun Ra, joining those who are delivered from bondage. All ends happily in a Sun Ra space colony of resurrected, reborn black/white humanity.Even if you don't buy the Biblical allegory, it's still a cool trip, with a bit of harmless nudity and violence for good measure (just like Cecil De Mille).