”The Dutchman,” a compelling, thought-provoking psychological thriller that opened in theaters this month, is an adaptation of the play “Dutchman,” written by playwright LeRoi Jones, who later changed his name to Amiri Baraka. The film, which was produced and directed by André Gaines and written by Qasim Basir and Gaines, opens with a young married couple, Clay and Kaya, played by André Holland and Zazie Beetz, in a therapy session led by Dr. Amiri, played by Stephen McKinley Henderson. Clay is not only struggling with Kaya’s infidelity but also with identity. As a young Black businessman in Harlem, he feels that he may be too Black for his white colleagues, yet not Black enough for fellow Harlemites.
While Kaya admits that she only cheated because she thought Clay was doing the same, she does seem sincerely apologetic about her indiscretions and is willing to do the work to move past it. Clay, on the other hand, can not get the image of Kaya’s infidelity out of his mind (which replays in excellent flashback images in the film), and that, combined with questionable advice from his friend and business colleague Warren, played by Aldis Hodge, who suggests he cheat on Kaya to get even, leads Clay on a dangerous path.
Photos courtesy of Inaugural Entertainment
On the subway, Clay meets Lula, played by Kate Mara, a talkative woman who convinces him to go to her place for a sexual encounter before heading to a big business event. After, Lula becomes what may be a Black man’s biggest fear, a manipulative white woman, who threatens to mention that Clay raped her if he does not allow her to accompany him to his big business event. When Clay tries to leave Lula, she screams on a New York City sidewalk, prompting several passersby to ask if everything is okay, forcing Clay to comply with her desire to join him.
Once at the event, Lula has awkward interactions with racially tinged undertones with several guests, including Kaya, as everyone wonders why Clay walked into the all-Black event with what seems to be a random white woman.
A resilient Clay delivers his speech at the event, echoing the phrase “New Harlem,” a reference to ongoing gentrification in the country’s most historic Black community, which immediately reminded me of a time when newer residents of the area attempted to change the name of southern Harlem to SoHa.
As Clay continues to struggle with identity, both within himself and his marriage, and his community, we find him back on the subway for another interaction with Mara’s Lula and an explosive conclusion.
“The Dutchman,” which is showing at AMC Empire 25 on 42nd Street, and other theaters nationwide, is a worthwhile film to watch on the big screen, a creative adaptation of Baraka’s play with a stellar cast.