To kick off Black History Month, we look at 10 of the best films about the black American experience.

By David Walker
Special to MSN Movies

Coming up with an essential viewing list of black films is no easy task. First of all, how do you define black films? Are they movies made by black filmmakers, or are they simply those made to appeal to black audiences? Is an Eddie Murphy movie a black film simply because it stars Eddie Murphy, or must it also have a black director?

Once you answer those questions -- on this list the films deal with characters and subject matter related to black Americans -- then you have to decide what films to put on the list. Coming up with the 10 best black films is a lot like coming up with the 10 best rock albums of all time -- you really can't do it. For the most part, what I tried to do was come up with a fairly diverse list of quality, entertaining films that have some semblance of artistic merit and resonance.

With that in mind, here are my picks, in alphabetical order ...