“The Temptations” is a 1980 gospel and pop film directed by Philip Glass. It tells the story of two girls who grow up in a Christian home and are close friends. The older girl’s younger sister has problems at home, and so the older sister encourages her to go off on her own and find someone to love. The resulting search takes them to the Mississippi delta where they witness the murder of a beloved member of the family and learn what awaits those who choose to follow.
Philip Glass is best known for his work with the spoken word, but he brings his gift for visual style to this film as well. This is probably his greatest film since “The DaVinci Code.” The movie is filled with powerful visuals of the civil war, the blues, the poverty stricken areas of the south and the terrible social conditions that prevail in America today. The Temptations soundtrack is an interesting chronology of events, with lead vocalist Ron Todd providing the synthesized sounds of almost every song.
The movie failed to achieve the success of the civil rights era “The DaVinci Code,” but it did achieve something close to that with its mixture of music and drama. Many people compare the Temptations’ soundtrack to the work of James Joyce or even further back in time with the works of Hans Christian Andersen. In fact, some of the songs on the miniseries are very similar to the great works of these authors. There is something about the tale of The Temptations that resonates with modern audiences. That is part of what has made the series so popular.
The story begins with the discovery of an overdose note hidden in the Bible. Found within the book were the words “if you are weary and have not joy” which causes a spiritual crisis to arise in the character of Joanna Santana. Joanna has always been a strong religious person, but this sudden change of heart sends her on a journey throughout the remainder of the musical. What follows are several flashbacks to previous lives as well as the conflicts that she must overcome in order to move forward.
One of the most poignant moments in the movie happens when Joanna is confronted by her own mother about her use of drugs. Her mother tries to help her daughter defend her actions by reminding Joanna of the things she said to her husband while on stage. She reminded Joanna of the things she said about living outside of the law, which made Joanna angry and confused. The memory of her own offstage life also brings back memories of the troubles she had gone through in the past, causing Joanna to feel overwhelmed with guilt and confusion.
Throughout the miniseries, various characters including Joanna’s mother, her step-sister, her fiance, the father of her step-son, the boyfriend of her step-sister, and numerous others all enter the spotlight and take center stage. The characters, many of which were already revealed in the first season, give the show an emotional depth that previous seasons have lacked. Throughout the miniseries the characters try to cope with their marital problems while battling with the temptations that they each believe is a part of their lives. Throughout the season many of these battles are resolved in a grand fashion with the help of some unexpected reinforcements.
The rock music hall of fabled Minnetonka, Minnesota is where the titular temptations reside. While Minnetonka was a place of enlightenment for the characters in the novel, the location itself is just as much of a focal point of the story. The town’s local landmark, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is the perfect setting for the series’ many romantic reunions and pivotal moments. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame serves as the perfect setting for the series’ romantic reunions when the newlyweds struggle to overcome their relationship temptations.
This is one movie that I really want to see the audience react to. After the credits the audience chants, “Ruffin’ in the ruff,” as if to say that the couple have finally overcome the challenges of the previous season. Hopefully the writers of the Temptations Movie will continue to expand the world of this series beyond its novel inspiration, and allow us to enjoy watching Ruffini and Rufus as well as their many other former members take center stage in future episodes.
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