Runtime: 76 minutes
Directed by: Dudley Murphy... and William C. DeMille
Starring: Paul Robeson, Dudley Digges, Frank H. Wilson, Fredi Washington, Ruby Elzy
From: This was released by United Artists
Two administrative notes to mention before I get to the actual review:
One: I actually saw this movie Sunday night and was going to post this yesterday; however, the Paul Reubens news threw a spanner into the works. I chose something 75 minutes long due to my having to troubleshoot some Internet/cable issues before selecting this.
Two: I made the right decision recently to create a list off-line of whatever films are mentioned to me… whether someone asks me if I’ve viewed something & I haven’t or recommendations. Not all the ones I’ve heard in recent months are in that list; it’s too much of a hassle to try and find all the comments left but at a rather methodical pace I’ll check those pictures out. Paul Robeson was discussed by two different people in a review and I remarked that none of his work on film had been seen by me. This was mentioned as THE movie to see him in.
Of course I’ve heard of him for years yet only knew a fraction of his life story. Wikipedia is the best source for the monumental impact he had on the world but I’ll mention that he was an actor, singer, athlete, and most importantly an activist who stood up for his left-leaning beliefs no matter the negative impact it had on his career. Emperor Jones (based on a play from Eugene O’Neill) has a rather far-fetched plot yet it was pulpy nonsense I enjoyed.
Robeson had an incredibly deep baritone voice that was heard both in dialogue and several songs. What an interesting protagonist his Brutus Jones was. At the beginning, we see him leave for his new job as a Pullman porter; that’s working on the railroad being a servant in train cars. He seems like a nice guy w/ a girlfriend who even visits his church before leaving. However, he’s corrupted and due to circumstances ends up on a chain gang. He escapes, ends up on a Caribbean island, and what happens next may not be believed even if I did provide the details.
The movie has historical value as the first film to ever star a Black person as a lead; not surprisingly, while released by United Artists it was actually an independent production. It was also a Pre-Code movie so it wasn’t a surprise when in that discussion it was brought up that not only was the N-word mentioned, it was said often. But, even I was surprised at the frequency; it was like I was seeing a Tarantino film! It was quite awkward for a dumb white guy like me. Then again, in this film where most of the talent seen was Black, the only other person I recognized was the white Dudley Digges and a lot of the production was done by white people. It’s all very odd, really.
For all the film’s flaws, it was not just Robeson’s killer performance which captivated me, although that was the keystone in my enjoyment. It was also fascinating to see and hear what I can only presume is an accurate depiction of Black dialect, Black slang, Black ideology, and Black music. Thus, overall I was happy to have experienced something so unique even by 2023 standards. Most critically, Emperor Jones also made me want to learn more about Paul Robeson.
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