Proud	by M. Faust

USS Mason sailors in "Proud"

There are two primary reasons why you might want to see the low-budget independent film Proud, opening this weekend at the Market Arcade.

First, it was partly filmed here. This true story of the USS Mason, whose crew were the only blacks to take a warship into combat during World War II, was shot largely at the Buffalo Naval Park.

It’s also valuable as a history lesson. Up to and through WWII, black men were ordinarily only allowed into the Navy in service positions, as cooks and stewards. The given rationale, that white soldiers would refuse to fight along side blacks, was official policy until Harry Truman did away with it.

The Mason was an experiment to show what now seems like a ridiculously unquestionable position, that black men could serve adequately in full military positions. Some argue that it was an experiment designed to fail, or at least to be called a failure as justification for continuing that racist policy.

Proud is presented as the reminiscences of Lorenzo DuFau, played as an elderly man by Ossie Davis in his last film appearance. DuFau tells the historically neglected story of the Mason to his grandson and friends, who were inspired enough by it to petition the government for full recognition of the ship, its crew and their accomplishments. DuFau’s tale includes a memorable shore leave in Northern Ireland, where despite the fears of the military establishment they are treated simply as “Yanks” by the locals (including Stephen Rea). There are also recreations of Harlem night life of the 1940s, as well as effective depictions of the casual racism faced by men who simply wanted to serve their country.

Unfortunately, the low budget and inexperience of the filmmakers are hard to overlook. Both the claustrophobia of life aboard a ship and the scope of a naval battle are hard for even an experienced director to depict on a small budget. Director Mary Pat Kelly, who wrote a book and made a documentary film on the subject of the Mason, is not so experienced, and the project’s hurdles generally get the better of her. If the subject interests you, though, you might want to overlook its shortcomings and enjoy it for what it is.