“Compensation” (1999) parallels the lives of two people in early and late twentieth century Chicago. Malindy and Malaika Brown (Michelle A. Banks) are deaf women, but segregation frustrates the prior and functions as a refuge for the latter. Arthur and Nico Jones (John Earl Jenks, who appeared as the father in “Exhibiting Forgiveness”) are hearing men with musical talents, but the prior is an illiterate migrant from Mississippi, and the latter is a children’s librarian.  As the four people converge, overcome their cultural differences and couple up in their respective times, forces out of their control threaten to tear them apart.

I honestly do not think that I am smart enough to convey how innovative and unique “Compensation” is. It is unlike anything that you have ever seen, could be challenging to watch and should be watched repeatedly to fully appreciate. The first viewing will be about acclimating because the film does not adhere to any single genre though it uses the language of silent film as an entry point for regular people, who may be unfamiliar with that era. It is a clever gambit because silent films are associated with the late nineteenth through early twentieth century, but most post-silent era films about that period use conventional cinematic techniques. Director Zeinabu Irene Davis immediately immerses us into that period by using intertitle cards with font indicating whether the words provide context, are dialogue or are Malindy’s journal entries. The piano music that ordinarily accompanies silent films gets played throughout. Just as we are ready to settle in, there are more surprises. It is a movie with diegetic sounds, and characters make noise and audibly talk, including the deaf people.

After twenty-one minutes, the film shifts to 1990, but the style does not change. It is still black and white with title cards, but the borders are decorated with Kente cloth and reflect the characters’ Afrocentric pride instead of assimilating to mainstream standards, which is a terrific segue to the deaf community showing pride in their culture. In the twenty-first century, it is rare to have a deaf person on screen, and it is often a white person such as Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin, Milicent Simmonds who starred in “Wonderstruck” (2017) and “A Quiet Place” (2018). The CW made efforts to have deaf actors appear more regularly on shows such as “Supernatural,” “Black Lightning” and “America’s Next Top Model,” but they are depicted as a minority in the hearing world. While white people appear in the film, they do not have speaking roles. These film creative choices are countercultural and should not be taken for granted. The “Compensation” centers the Black and/or deaf world and casts a Black woman as the protagonist, which is niche even for a Black film.

The stories and characters revolve around Malindy and Malaika though Nico is depicted as having a life outside of his lady love. Both women are proud, accomplished and present as a higher class than their male counterparts. Unlike many differently abled movie characters, they are never framed as inspirational. They are real people who happen to be deaf. When Malindy’s friend, Tildy Evans (Nirvana Cobb), casually uses the phrase “deaf and dumb,” before the audience knows that she wrote that, Banks’ facial expression and stillness conveys the comment’s import. These women are presented as living full lives with careers, homes, friends and rich cultural experiences.

In contrast, Arthur and Nico are more expressive and less reserved almost verging on lovable lugs. Arthur’s life outside of Malindy is limited, but Nico has a profession and a friend. The Jones men are hulking but gentle. The most notable part of the later period is the casual misogyny which is a part of ordinary conversation between Nico and his friend, not framed as disrespectful. The Jones men present a natural masculinity of peacocking to get a potential mate’s attention, but in the latter period, the seeds of the deviation and reversal from nature with men as the prize whom women need to impress is reflected as others classify Malindy as “afflicted” and not deserving of a “college educated Black man” though Nico rejects this line of thinking through action but fails to push against the concept and sees it as joshing.

The action unfolds in Chicago, which is a cinematic city closely associated with Black love, especially after “Southside with You” (2016) popularized the Obamas’ love story. The movie’s title originates from a Paul Laurence Dunbar poem so lyrical lovers will have the advantage. The narrative is fictional and parallels the action unfolding in those different times. At the outset then anytime “Compensation” returns to the earlier period, montages of black and white photographs are reminiscent of Ken Burns’ documentaries, which were not popular at the time of shooting, but contemporaneous. Chicago is an essential city for Black history because of the Great Migration, and Malindy’s life is peppered with historical shoutouts as if they were part of her daily life such as her wall of photos of famous Black people, an official NAACP magazine called “The Crisis,” a recreation and revision of the short film, “The Railroad Porter” (1912), and Black opera singer Sissieretta Jones.

In both stories, communication divides the star-crossed lovers. Even though Nico is college-educated and learning American Sign Language (ASL), like his antecedent, he is not the intellectual equal to Malaika, which is less of a problem for Malindy and Arthur because Malindy enjoys playing teacher. Nico receives more pushback from a more radical deaf community for being hearing and not knowing enough sign language. These obstacles do not seem like insurmountable obstacles, but then writer Marc Arthur Chery, Davis’ husband, delivers challenges that are unforeseen though foreshadowed and are easy to miss but are more obvious in repeat viewings. “Compensation” is coming out at a time that makes this game changer germane and relatable now.

The Jones men react by performing religious rituals: Christianity for Arthur and Yoruba and/or Vodou deities for Nico, who is described as the godchild of Ogun. Ogun is a god of metal or a warrior so while the Jones men seem huge, they are not violent or threatening even when someone is aggressive to them, but like Ogun, they are determined and hopeful. The ritual was inscrutable to me. It is easier to do a deep dive on the underlying folklore and religious practices behind “Midsommar” (2019), but not West African deities so please feel free to reach out and correct any errors.

“Compensation” opens with Legba, Legba’s symbol and description “Keeper of Crossroads/” Legba is probably Papa Legba and controls communication. So, invoking him at the beginning may be a visual shorthand prayer to let the film be clear in conveying its message to the audience. It closes with Ayizan, Ayizan’s symbol and description “Healer & Protector.” Ayizan could be Legba’s wife though other accounts say that she is Loko’s wife. As Loko’s counterpart, she counters magical attacks, which makes sense given that in both timelines, the attack against the couple is too big. As Papa Legba’s wife, she appears in funeral ceremonies, which also fits in with the film. There could be a double meaning. It could be a closing prayer to protect the Black community vulnerable to pandemics because of systemic discrimination that result in medical disparities. As Imani Barbarin says, “every form of marginalization globally leads to disability.”

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Arthur dies of tuberculosis, and it is strongly implied that Malaika dies of AIDS or at least in Nico’s heart. If I had one criticism of “Compensation,” while both diseases are part of deadly pandemics, AIDS carried more of a stigma in the nineties, so Nico’s reaction makes it about judgment of Malaika for endangering him, not just grief. It is an unfair criticism because it was the available pandemic of its time. Now we have plenty of pandemics that are not framed as moral failings: Covid-19, H1N1, still tuberculosis, influenza, measles, respiratory syncytial virus, and if you are in Indiana, AIDS. AIDS no longer equals a death sentence, and Prep can be used to prevent transmission if one partner is infected and another is not.  

It is surprising that there is no explanation for why these couples are destined to meet as if reincarnation or something supernatural is at work. Before seeing “Compensation,” the plot sounds like a take on “Somewhere in Time” (1980). Considering the characters’ last name, they could be related though the last names are common.