Jericho
1937 Directed by Thornton Freeland
Synopsis
A World War I officer who escapes his fate as a black man by fleeing to Africa and creating a new world for himself.
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Though produced in the UK, this story of an unjustly court marshaled African American escaping imprisonment and fleeing to North Africa certainly appears to be an American story at its heart. Politically this is certainly an improvement over Sanders of the River and yet, frustratingly, it is not as well made a film. It lacks the narrative excitement of that film and while Robeson is good as always I think he was a bit more dedicated and exciting in Sanders. I also thought the incorporation of music was a lot less naturalistic here, feeling more like “break into song moments” than in other movies. It’s good that they were able to get a positive depiction of an African American onto the screen, but it seems that filmic ambition and political ambition never seems to line up with this guy.