Customer Reviews

The Five Heartbeats

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Five Heartbeats is one of my favorite movies. Robert Townsend does an excellent job. This movie is action packed (The beginning), funny (Big red), and heartbreaking (Eddie on drugs). This movie is one of the best. This is a must have.

for telling the Story od the Dells&congradulations to them for fianlly getting into the Rock&Roll Hall of Fame after waiting way to long. this story deals with the Music Industry&Mirriors alot of the same Politics you see today.Racisim,Sexisim,Bad Contracts,Drugs,Hustling,Pimping,&all still waiting on that Hit to Emerge.the Cast was Strong in this Film.Dap for Holding it down.Brother Townsend knocked this Film out just as he did with "Hollywood Shuffle".also He had a cool Role in "Cooley High".this is a Film that spoke then&Speaks even more today about the Shady Industry.

Wow, what a film! It is a movie about a fictional vocal group from the 60's that is loosely based on The Dells( as opposed to The Temptations, like a lot of people thought). Writer/director/actor Robert Townsend works overtime to make sure we get the whole story of how a vocal group had to make it in the 60's. Michael Wright steals the show as the lead singer who is asked to leave after showing up too late, too many times due to drug and alcohol abuse. Michael Wright has a (should have been) Academy Award winning scene in a parking lot after a show where he sings to prove he still has the chops, only to embarrass himself in front of his ex- group members. The pathos is palpable as the rest of the cast hits the right note of sorrow showing that they still respect him, but now pity him. There are plenty of moments like this, both dramatic and musical that will make the hair stand up on your neck. The soundtrack really resembles songs from this era and I am definately interested in getting the soundtrack.

It's one of the better films on black music group singers. the casting and acting was one of the better. I would recommedn this movies for entertainment.

The fact that a significant number of my students, past and present, think that this is a docudrama about an actual group is a testament to Robert Townsend's genius. This is, perhaps, the greatest tribute to the legendary groups of the 50's and 60's.

Leon deserved at least an Oscar nomination for his intense and highly believable performance.

I loved this movie because it grabs your attention and the story is very interesting. I loved all of the characters in the movie especially Michael Wright, he definitely stole the show. I would definitely recommend buying this movie because you will NOT be dissappointed!

There was a time in the late 80s when a spate of new black films were coming out and, inspired by Spike Lee's early movies (She's Gotta have It, Do the Right Thing), I began my collection of modern black movies. However, lost in my video "must see" list was the Five Heartbeats. Luckily, a friend reminded me about this film in the mid 90s and I was blown away by Robert Townsend's film. Originality that is hard to find in American black movies of today; an "historical" look at a musical era that meant so much to black people (and indeed a lot of white people worldwide, especially in my native Great Britain);and great music numbers. There are so many wonderful performances in the movie, not least that of the actor who plays Red, the nasty independent record company owner (the next time I saw him play a film it was as a bus driver bit part in Sandra Bullock's "Speed" - what an absolute waste of a talent!) One of my favourite sections of the film is the transformation of the group's image from the late 60s into the early seventies, characters of the band now sporting "Earth, Wind & Fire" type sideburns, hairstyles and flairs. This video is an absolute joy to watch over and over again! And Robert Townsend: where are you fella? We need more of your craft displayed on film. Finally, I agree very much with critics on this site who find much drab repetitiveness of some of the black films of today. One of the great things about filmmakers like Spike Lee and Robert Townsend is that they have introduced the world to some fantastic black talent over the years - if only we had some more talented writers and directors to equal their talents and produce some truly astonishing storylines I for one would be ever so grateful.

I SAW THIS MOVIE IN 1991 AND WAS AMAZED BY THE APPLAUSE AT THE END BY THE MAJORITY BLACK AUIDENCE WHO SAW IT. THE STORY OF THE DELLS IS A PRIMER OF HOW THE MUSIC INDUSTRY OPERATED IN THE 1960'S (AND TODAY ALSO IN SOME INSTANCES) FROM PUTTING WHITE FACES ON THE ALBUM TO INSURE "CROSSOVER" FROM HOODS LIKE "RED" WHO WERE CONNECTED TO ORGANIZED CRIME TO THE GROUP THEMSELVES. TOWNSEND DID A GREAT JOB CASTING THE ACTORS AND GIVES A SENSTIVE PERFOMANCE HIMSELF AS "DUCK". MICHEAL WRIGHT AS EDDIE KANE STEALS THE MOVIE WITH HIS STRONG PERFORMANCE AND LEON IS A CLOSE SECOND AS J.T. WATCHING DIHANN CAROLL AND HAROLD NICOLAS WAS A TREAT, I THOUGHT BLACK MOVIES LIKE THIS WOULD BE THE NORM AFTER SPIKE LEE'S AND TOWNSEND'S BREAKTROUGH IN "HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE "INSTEAD OF MOVIES LIKE "I GOT THE HOOK-UP",OR THE STEPIN FETCHIT LIKE "BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE". THIS MOVIE MEANDERS NEAR THE END BUT THE CHURCH SCENE MAKES UP FOR ALL THE MISTEPS IN THE MIDDLE THIRD. THIS IS GREAT FILM IT WORKS AS A GREAT STORY AND A LESSON ON LOVE, DEDICATION AND FRIENDSHIP.

"The Five Heartbeats", one of my favorite films by Robert Townsend, is a wonderful movie about a fictional singing quintet's rise to fame in the 1960s. It somewhat echoes the story of the Temptations, but in actuality, it could have been a profile of just about any black male singing group of that era (it was supposedly based on the story of The Dells). The struggles to get to the top, what happens when you get there, the egos, trying to keep up with musical trends and of course, the racism, backstabbing, and shady characters -- it's all included here as a very real look into just how ruthless the recording industry can be. There are scenes that will make you laugh, make you cry, and just make you feel good all over!

With strong performances from Leon, Robert Townsend and Michael Wright, this movie is a CLASSIC and extremely enjoyable. Also included in the cast are Hollywood legends Diahann Carroll and dancer Harold Nicholas. I highly recommend this...great acting and great musical scenes add up to a GREAT FILM. Get it today!

In addition to getting my Temptations DVD autographed, Leon also autographed this for me! Superb casting, realistic storyline (the ups and downs of a music group), and great music from the Dells. A must-have!