Sing Sing is a maximum security correctional facility in New York, within which is the RTA (Rehabilitation Through Arts) program. The film centres around the production of an original play written by John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield (played by Colman Domingo), one of the inmates who is a founding member of the program and stars in several of the program’s productions who also helps direct the group. Loosely based on a true story, the cast is largely made up of ex-inmates who are alumni of the program. The RTA allows the inmates to express themselves in a form that is discouraged by toxic masculinity, especially within the walls of the facility. Watching a cast of men who would often be characterised as violent and aggressive find comfort in an environment in which they can be vulnerable makes for a beautifully tender viewing experience, emboldened by wonderfully touching performances by the ensemble cast.
Conflict arises in the RTA when Divine G campaigns for Clarence Maclin (played by himself) to join the program, a man who is less settled into the lifestyle compared to the other inmates, and Divine G tries his bet to settle him into the program. He also challenges Divine G’s role as the pseudo director, hinting that Divine G is perhaps less comfortable in his unique position as he may seem. With the majority of the cast playing themselves an already amazing script is elevated to the heavens, every interaction is naturalistic and down to earth, giving the story a seriously personal atmosphere, it feels like the actors aren’t performing at all.
Colman Domingo delicately portrays Divine G, a kind man putting everything he has into a system that wants to keep him contained. His performance has already won him several awards and is deservedly causing a flurry of Oscar buzz. In a film of stand-out performances, Clarence Maclin shines in his debut performance for a feature film, effortlessly channeling the aforementioned naturalistic style. The two solidify the idea of the RTA saving its members, one man in need of guidance, and the other needing the support of his peers now more than ever.
Within the workshops and performances run by the program, the camera is kept at eye-level and is often in close-up with the characters, involving the audience into the setting on a very personal level. Shot in several decommissioned correctional facilities, scenes of the characters discussing and rehearsing the play are complemented by bright light filling the room. The light not only gives a clear view of the actors’ grinning faces as they share the space with each other, but gives those scenes a warm feeling that makes you want to enter the scene and join them, which is enhanced by the film’s calming, ethereal score.
Contrasting the cozy feel of the program are the facility’s long, poorly lit hallways and imposing brick walls of the prison, a brutal reminder of the theatre troupe’s isolation and incarceration. The film’s tone strikes a balance between the unbridled joy that the program brings and the hopelessness of the prison system they are trapped in.
Unlike most prison movies, no focus is placed upon what the men did to become incarcerated, and there’s no grand escape plan, just an honest portrayal of these men’s lives and how they find comfort and connection in such a cold environment. With the credits rolling, as the majority of the cast weren’t actually playing a character, Sing Sing transforms the words “As Himself” into one of the most powerful phrases put to film. To have a movie release, even today, that tackles issues of toxic masculinity is still taboo in Hollywood, and with the cast mostly representing themselves is exceptional. I truly believe Sing Sing will come to be seen as one of the most culturally important pieces of art released in this decade. Sing Sing is playing at Perth Festival from the 20th to the 26th of January.