FilmGordon Radio | Top Ten Black Cinema Adaptations

FilmGordon

by Tim Gordon

This week on the latest episode of the BIG show, we celebrate the legacy of Black storytelling on screen with our countdown of the Top 10 Black Cinema Adaptations.

From A Raisin in the Sun to Malcolm X, The Color Purple to If Beale Street Could Talk, we’ll explore how books and plays have shaped some of the most powerful moments in Black film history.

From the pages of powerful novels and groundbreaking plays to the big screen, Black cinema adaptations have long been a vital part of our storytelling tradition. These films don’t just translate words into images — they preserve history, amplify voices, and reimagine culture for new generations.

From Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun to Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, from James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk to August Wilson’s Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, these works remind us that the written word has always been a foundation for cinematic excellence. And when visionary directors like Spike Lee, Barry Jenkins, and Steve McQueen bring them to screen, the results don’t just become films — they become cultural landmarks.

Top 10 Black Cinema Adaptations

1. Malcolm X (1992)

  • Source: The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
  • Director: Spike Lee
  • A monumental epic, reframing Malcolm X’s life for the big screen. Denzel Washington’s career-defining performance earned an Oscar nomination.

2. 12 Years a Slave (2013)

  • Source: Memoir of Solomon Northup (1853)
  • Director: Steve McQueen
  • Won Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, and Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong’o). A visceral, unflinching historical adaptation.

3. The Color Purple (1985 & 2023)

  • Source: Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
  • Directors: Steven Spielberg (1985), Blitz Bazawule (2023 musical adaptation)
  • Spielberg’s film earned 11 Oscar nominations; Bazawule’s brought the Broadway musical full circle, celebrating Black women’s voices across generations.

4. A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

  • Source: Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking play
  • Director: Daniel Petrie
  • The first major Hollywood film adapted directly from a Black playwright’s work. Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Claudia McNeil made it iconic.

5. Fences (2016)

  • Source: August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play
  • Director: Denzel Washington
  • Brought Wilson’s work to film with powerhouse performances. Viola Davis won the Oscar, and the film preserved Wilson’s authentic dialogue-driven intensity.

6. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

  • Source: James Baldwin’s novel
  • Director: Barry Jenkins
  • Baldwin’s voice reimagined in lyrical cinema. Regina King won the Oscar for her supporting role.

7. A Lesson Before Dying (1999, HBO)

  • Source: Ernest J. Gaines’ novel
  • Director: Joseph Sargent
  • Don Cheadle starred in this Emmy-winning adaptation, dramatizing themes of injustice, dignity, and redemption in the Jim Crow South.

8. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)

  • Source: August Wilson’s play (part of his “Century Cycle”)
  • Director: George C. Wolfe
  • Viola Davis as the “Mother of the Blues” and Chadwick Boseman’s final, Oscar-nominated role made this a searing adaptation.

9. Beloved (1998)

  • Source: Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
  • Director: Jonathan Demme
  • Oprah Winfrey championed the adaptation of Morrison’s haunting masterpiece. Though underappreciated at release, it stands as an ambitious, necessary work.

10. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)

  • Source: Ernest J. Gaines’ novel
  • Director: John Korty (for television)
  • Starring Cicely Tyson, who won two Emmys, this adaptation traced the history of Black America through one woman’s life story.