The Green Pastures
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Movie Reviews of The Green Pastures
Movie Review: A Deeply Beautiful Film
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm so glad I'm not seeing much in the way of commentary on stereotyping regarding this extraordinary film. It's an all-Black production and is steeped in older African-American culture, all of it--up, down and sidewise, while successfully mapping itself onto the Bible's depictions of humanity in general. It's American black people, in their own cultural setting, being all people. Utterly brilliant. Rex Ingram's portrayal of God is inspired and moving, probably my favorite depiction of a major bible player (and it don't get more major than that!).
More remarkable, it's the least sanctimonious and stuffy, yet most true-feeling, telling of Bible stories around. Examples: instead of having a Pharaoh surrounded by empty grandeur the scenes with Moses in Egypt are transposed to a local Lodge Meeting full of empty symbols, self important high muckamucks and toadies--reality distilled to its essence; God, up in heaven, keeps his office simple and works from an old roll-top desk, he also worries a lot and wonders if he did the right thing. This movie is an absolute joy.
It's good to see this film getting the attention it deserves
Movie Review: An Absolute Joy
Summary: 5 Stars
I have watched this movie several times and always find something new in it. For a black audience still without civil rights and whose elders remembered slavery, this movie shows a most merciful, grandfatherly God who cares deeply about his creation, and gives them a fine heaven behind those massive pearly gates.
A visiting Ugandan Anglican priest spent the night at our home in the 1980s, and we asked if he'd like to watch this movie. This black man who had struggled through Amin's regime and the next government, and whose home had been raided twice, understood both the humor and the tenderness. When Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, he pointed out the gentle, understanding touch of Aaron on Moses' shoulder. He sighed, "Wasn't that beautiful?" Seeing this movie through the eyes of a black person who had endured so much was humbling.
This film is more than humor or a view on a past era. It still speaks about the gentle hand of God to those who are oppressed.
Movie Review: Touching retelling of old testament stories
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those black-cast movies made in an era when racism was the Hollywood standard and, like all such films, it can't be judged by today's standards without missing something important and beautiful. When watching it one can focus on the injustices of the culture reflected in it or on the fine actors and performances preserved in it. I bought it for love of the latter. It's amusing to hear one resident of heaven compliment another on the beauty of his wings (I won't give away the punch line) and it's touching to seethe relationships between the children and the adults. I don't want to say too much but I am glad I bought it and will continue to search out other such films as they become available on DVD.Movie Review: Historical commentary
Summary: 5 Stars
As a member of Roark Bradford's family, I'd like to share a couple of t5houghts.
First, it should be noted that Connelly's play was not "suggested" by Bradford's work but rather stolen from them by a house-guest who betrayed his host's hospitality. The family was outraged by this at the time. Nothing has changed.
Second, while Warner's disclaimer may be interesting, what it really reveals is a total unfamiliarity with Bradford as a writer and as a person. Bradford wrote down stories he heard from a minister, "Preacher Wes," during his childhood. He loved the stories and wanted to share them with those who had not had an opportunity to hear them first-hand. To call him a racist is absurd.
Movie Review: IThe Green Pastures is a delight!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have waited nearly 25 years for this beautiful movie to become available and I am very happy to finally have a copy. This is one of the sweetest, most warm hearted movies ever made. The creation story and the story of Noah's Arc are interpreted through the voice of a Sunday school teacher and the imagination of a young child.
Be forewarned, however that there is a considerable amount of stereotyping in this movie; after all, it was made in 1936 for distribution in the black theater market. The stereotyping is not mean spirited and serves more as a statement about the way things were 70+ years ago.
The performances are exquisite and the movie quite uplifting.