Review: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman is a bitter, aching portrait of Black artists struggling against white capitalism

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is adapted from August Wilson’s play of the same name, written for the screen by Ruben Santiago-Hudson and directed by George C. Wolfe. It feels very much like a play, with a staginess to the setting, especially early on, and long, unbroken monologues that are impressive on ...