Hallelujah (1929)
Grade: 82
"Hallelujah" was the first film from a major studio with an all-black cast. Perhaps we should be grateful that "Hallelujah" exists, rather than resentful that racism prevented the production of other films like it. But at least we have "Hallelujah", which is more dynamic, fascinating and unique than most of the other musicals from the early sound era.
Daniel Haynes stars as Zeke, who, along with his large family, makes a marginal living as a cotton picker. Come harvest time, Zeke gets paid for his crop, but he promptly loses it to a pair of con artists (William Fontaine and femme fatale Nina Mae McKinney). His brother is also killed. In his despair, Zeke is born again, and becomes a spellbinding preacher. But his family's new-found success is again threatened by Zeke's maddening passion for McKinney.
The soundtrack for "Hallelujah" is excellent. The nightclub scenes have vintage jazz performances. There are also spirituals, folk songs, and lullabies. Haynes has a resonant bass voice, reminiscent of Paul Robeson. Essentially, "Hallelujah" was filmed as a silent, with the soundtrack later dubbed in. That, along with cultural reasons and amateur actors, may account for the exaggerated performances. Distribution of the film proved more problematic, as some theatre owners had fears that 'too many' blacks would see the film, alienating white audiences.
King Vidor, a successful Texas-born director with a Hollywood career spanning five decades, also produced "Hallelujah". His efforts were rewarded with an Oscar nomination for Best Director.
kollers@mpsi.net http://members.tripod.com/~Brian_Koller/movies.html
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