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The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry

Name: The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry
Director: Ethan Higbee, Adam Bhala Lough
Released: 2008
Duration: 95 min

Representation Score

8.3/10

Excellent

2008

Not Rated

Director

Ethan Higbee, Adam Bhala Lough

Runtime

95 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The documentary serves as a powerful disruption of Western-centric musical history. By centering Lee Scratch Perry, it elevates Afro-Caribbean ability to act and the profound impact of Black innovation on global pop culture. While the film lacks specific focus on LGBTQ+ or gender-diverse narratives, it finds strength in its nuanced portrayal of neurodivergence and post-colonial spirituality. Ultimately, the film succeeds by repositioning the cultural periphery as a central force of global influence, celebrating a non-conformist worldview through a deeply personal lens.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on Perry's musical and spiritual journey without depicting specific LGBTQ+ narratives or critiquing the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry portray gender?

Fair

The narrative centers on a masculine archetype of the 'mad genius,' lacking diverse gender perspectives or subversions of traditional roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry?

Excellent

The documentary excels by centering Afro-Caribbean identity and Black musical innovation. It disrupts Anglo-centric histories by positioning a Black Jamaican creator at the center of global culture.

How does The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film offers a profound look at post-colonial identity and Rastafarianism. It explores the tension between independent artistry and the systemic forces of the global capitalist music industry.

Does The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry include disability representation?

Good

Perry's neurodivergence and unconventional mental states are framed as essential to his creative process. The film avoids mockery, treating his complexities as intrinsic to his visionary status.

Present on Screen

Centers Afro-Caribbean identity and Black musical innovation.
Portrays neurodivergence as a source of creative ability to act.
Explores post-colonial identity and Rastafarian spirituality.

Limited or Absent

Lacks specific LGBTQ+ representation or queer-centered narratives.
Limited inclusion of diverse gender perspectives.

Official Synopsis

The Upsetter tells the fascinating story of Lee Scratch Perry a visionary musician and artist from poor rural Jamaica who journeyed to the big city of Kingston in the late 1950’s with dreams of making it in the burgeoning record industry. He burst upon the scene with a brand new sound, inventing a genre of music that would come to be called Reggae, discovering a young Bob Marley and gaining international recognition as a record producer and solo artist. Soon he was being called upon by artists as diverse as The Clash and Paul McCartney to provide his unique sound.

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