Rita Chiarelli

Tony Burgess

Erin Faith Young

Rita Chiarelli&apos;s exploration of Louisiana&apos;s Angola Prison, its inmates and the blues music tradition they perform with her.

Bruce McDonald

Music from the Big House

This movie speaks tons

Music from the Big House begins humbly enough, with a myriad of inmates telling their musical roots. Rita Chiarelli seeks to go back to the roots of the blues, Angola Prison Louisiana. This is where the magic happens. Taking the time to assemble 4 different bands, Rita masterfully guides the inmates learning their past, while teaching her own. Together they make nothing short of a masterpiece. Music from the Big House grants a beautiful look into the hearts and souls of these men. Introducing you to the new souls, the men of hope, looking out of their harrowing homes and into the heavens for salvation. Rita becomes their angel in garb, dealing out guitars, keyboards, and drums; making the blues resonate from the stonewalls of Angola Prison. I loved the simple black and white film, each shadowed grain only intensified emotions of the graveled voices. Chiarelli guides us humbly, granting us with an open-hearted look into the real men and their music.

From acclaimed director Bruce McDonald comes a rare, musical documentary starring award-winning recording Blues artist Rita Chiarelli and the inmates of Angola Prison. Not since Johnny Cash took stage at Folsom Prison has the love of music promised humanity and redemption to men serving life sentences for crimes as heinous a murder, rape and armed robbery.

With a deeply rooted legacy of great Blues music, AngolaÂ’s bloody history can not dissuade RitaÂ’s personal pilgrimage to recover the talent and desperate voices of the musicians within. Commanding an audience of some 800 inmates with family and country folk cobbled in, Rita raises the roof in a collaborative jailhouse performance with men who have little else to live for. It is history written anew Â– thanks to Warden Burl CainÂ’s progressive, if not controversial, rehabilitation programs.

The prisonÂ’s music program has offered hope to inmates like Ray Jones, a man who rather be remembered for his days singing disco in the 70Â’s. But heÂ’ll never leave with his murder rap. HeÂ’s since found God, and devotes himself to the legal studies that might help other inmates with their cases. Above all heÂ’s found his voice, but as only one out of the 5000 inmate voices, Ray takes the stage again to have his full potential felt and heard.

Steeped with hope and imploring for forgiveness, these remarkable voices guide on the journey of men and their bands in quest for redemption. What was once just about the Blues now becomes a life changing experience for Rita. Be swept away by one of BluesÂ’ most soulful pilgrim daughters, and discover the promise and escape of music.

One woman, four bands, two hours of the Blues. ItÂ’s time to make a new soundtrack.


Music From the Big House

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjIxNjA4MDM3OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzcyOTAwNA@@._V1_.jpg

Rita Chiarelli's exploration of Louisiana's Angola Prison, its inmates and the blues music tradition they perform with her.

bappamtv

Music from the Big House

🎭 Top Cast

🎬 Technical Specs

🏷️ Keywords

🎯 Categories

⭐ Featured Review

🎬 More Like This

📖 Synopsis