Audience Member
Paul Robeson stars as an escaped con posing as a preacher in his screen debut. He's a drunk and a gambler, and he rapes the daughter of one of his parishioners and blackmails her into stealing all her mother's money and giving it to him. The daughter comes clean to her mother right before dying and she blows the whistle on Robeson. When you think of Robeson, you think mainly on his amazing voice, so it's a bit disconcerting to see him in a silent film. He is excellent and really carries this film. Like many of Micheaux's films, it has some puzzling plot elements that serve to muddle it's clarity without really adding anything to the main narrative. Robeson has a second role as his own estranged twin brother, and this plot thread really amounts to nothing.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/01/23
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Audience Member
Narratively ... weird. Interesting performances, even for a 1920's silent film. Robeson possesses an oddly contemporary swagger (I haven't seen his other films, yet).
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/18/23
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Audience Member
I love silent films, though this one heralding the first film performance of Paul Robeson is simply good or decent, not great or essential. Robeson's performance is excellent in an otherwise average melodrama, and it's clear he's going to be a star of the silver screen. In her only cinematic appearance, Julia Theresa Russell, who was the director's sister-in-law, deserves mention, however. She's gorgeous and her acting wasn't bad at all. The jazz/blues/spiritual score on the Criterion Collection release, I believe by Wycliffe Gordon, is outstanding. Recommended if you like either silent films or Paul Robeson.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I love silent films, though this one heralding the first film performance of Paul Robeson is simply good or decent, not great or essential. Robeson's performance is excellent in an otherwise average melodrama, and it's clear he's going to be a star of the silver screen. In her only cinematic appearance, Julia Theresa Russell, who was the director's sister-in-law, deserves mention, however. She's gorgeous and her acting wasn't bad at all. The jazz/blues/spiritual score on the Criterion Collection release, I believe by Wycliffe Gordon, is outstanding. Recommended if you like either silent films or Paul Robeson.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
Full Review
Audience Member
One of the more talked about Oscar Michaeux films that was the feature film debut of African American Actor Paul Robeson.
Although this film had major budget restraints & left the film with many holes its the story is of two brothers both played by Paul Robeson one a gentle man the other a convict posing as a priest.
Both are after Isabelle & she mainly likes the gentleman but mother pushes her to Priest who is a violent, dishonest & criminal man in actuality. The film is filled with some confronting flashback especially the rape scene which was done with just shots of the feet.
A confronting film ahead of its time & Oscar Micheaux was not only a pioneer of Early Black Cinema but a figurehead in cinema alone, well worth a watch.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/31/23
Full Review
bill t
A movie that has a great reputation ahead of being a great movie (this was one of the first "all black" movies ever made). If there was one reason to see this movie, that would be for the great Paul Robeson, who just outshines everyone here with his acting ability. As a matter of fact, when everyone is emoting, emoting, emoting, Robeson is more natural, and therefore more believable. Speaking of believable, the story is pretty hoary, with a cheat ending of course. Not the greatest movie. But what do you expect from Michaux?
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
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