Oscar Micheaux - Body and Soul (1925)

Although the 1920s brought him acclaim as a stage actor and singer, Paul Robeson still had to prove himself as a viable screen performer. Mainstream avenues were limited, however, and his first two films, both silent, were made on the peripheries of the film business. Body and Soul (1925), directed by the legendary African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, is a direct critique of the power of the cloth, casting Robeson in dual roles as a jackleg preacher and a well-meaning inventor.

from Reel.com

Quote:

In 1925, African-American thespian Paul Robeson was a major figure on the stage, but the realities of the film industry (and of American culture in general) limited his access to mainstream Hollywood. His first movie, Oscar Micheaux's Body and Soul, was made by a black director working outside the system, and it exhibits an originality both in terms of subject matter and style that separates it from more conventional films of the period. Robeson plays dual roles, starring as both corrupt preacher Isiaah Jenkins and noble inventor Sylvester, and Micheaux uses the interconnected storylines to comment on a number of issues that would have been important to African-American audiences of the time. In following Jenkins as he manipulates and traumatizes his followers, and then contrasting that behavior with Sylvester's self-sacrifice, Micheaux is able to address race, class, and religion in a bold piece of work that is still provocative today.

Only four of Micheaux's silent features have survived, but Body and Soul is one of them, and it has been restored in a glorious transfer as part of Criterion's Paul Robeson box set, Paul Robeson: Portraits of the Artist. Like many silent masters, Micheaux was capable of crafting films that were accessible yet rich in subtle detail. The melodramatic strokes of Body and Soul are comprehensible to anyone in the audience, regardless of their level of sophistication, but the film is not crass or heavy-handed. Micheaux packs his layered images with nuances that reinforce character and theme, particularly in the production design and costuming. Certain kinds of photographs on the walls are associated with specific moral values, wardrobe indicates social status, and location shooting contextualizes the characters within their urban surroundings.

The economy of Micheaux's storytelling is remarkable. Body and Soul's 79 minutes fly by, yet they're also densely packed with ideas and action. There are two primary factors that contribute to this, one being the director's proficiency with flashbacks, which allows him to smoothly integrate information about the characters' pasts into the narrative. The second factor is Robeson's remarkable performance, which conveys complex meaning via clear and concise gestures. Robeson's father and brother were both ministers, and his family background seems to have informed his work here, leaving him perfectly suited to imitate a clergyman just as his character does. The greatness of the performance lies in Robeson's ability to reveal the pastor's essence as a phony without overtly acting phony—just as his con man character would, Robeson plays the minister straight, enabling the audience to understand why all of the parishioners would be so easily fooled.

Robeson's talent is even more evident when one contrasts his work as Jenkins with his turn as the fundamentally decent Sylvester. The actor makes understated alterations in his body language and facial expressions to create a persona that is the polar opposite of the minister, and he does so without relying on extensive hair or makeup effects. Casting Robeson in the two roles allows Micheaux to explore the schism between perception and reality, as the characters who support the star react not to the reality of Jenkins and Sylvester's natures, but to their own assumptions and prejudices.

The DVD features a commentary track by Micheaux scholar Pearl Bowser, who contributes an erudite analysis of the movie's cultural context and visual style. It's worth listening to, but the movie's the thing: Body and Soul is a silent-film landmark that almost single-handedly justifies the creation of Criterion's Robeson box set.










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