I’ve seen this one a few times over the last year. A large part of the pleasure of watching this example of early Black Independent Cinema lies in its caricature-like performances, the overbearing use of iconography and the general style of Black life in mid-twentieth century America. Essentially, an “unbeliever” accidentally shoots his Baptist wife, who dies and goes to the infamous crossroads, where she must choose between a righteous path and the path led by Satan himself. You have to take the technical handling of the allegory lightly in order to enjoy it (though, who can gauge anyone’s potential source of pleasure?). The wonderful singing of hymns, the righteous banter of church folk and the nightclub scenes always make it wothwhile for me.
I’m not sure if the director, Spencer Williams, meant to illustrate how the body of a black woman (or women, in general, for that matter) has been a focal point of religious contention and debate for centuries, but his film is certainly an example of the practice.
by Marlin Tyree | Source: Wellspring DVD
03 Feb 2007 11:23 AM | Submit Comment
