Pluskylang Great Film overall

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

kidboots The original production of "Body and Soul" was a nine reel extravaganza but when Oscar Micheaux applied for an exhibition license, the New York Motion Picture Commission denied approval on the grounds that it would "tend to incite crime" and was immoral and sacrilegious. Micheaux had to edit it down from 9 to 6 reels. Paul Robeson, the star, was billed as "the greatest of all coloured actors". He received $100 per week salary plus 3% of the gross after the first $40,000 in receipts. Robeson, by 1925, was already a theatrical star who had been given roles in "All God's Chillun Got Wings" and "The Emperor Jones" by playwright Eugene O'Neil and George Jean Nathan had dubbed him "one of the most eloquent, impressive and convincing of actors".Yes, there are a few problems and the ending is a real let down but Robeson's performance as the charlatan preacher is just so powerful. One astonishing scene shows him calmly preaching, then, with the help of a hidden liquor bottle, whipping himself and the crowd into a frenzy. I know it was a silent film but his performance was so vivid, strutting up and down the pulpit, chanting, singing - completely unforgettable. Robeson plays an escapee who is passing himself off as Reverend Jenkins - his past is about to catch up with him though when his former cellmate "Yellow" Curly Hinds tracks him down and wants him to help recruit local girls for a burlesque show. Jenkins has a nice racket going on in Tateville, the women of the town being mesmerized by his preaching technique - with the result he is never short of cash!! Isabelle, who is engaged to Sylvester who just happens to be Jenkin's estranged twin brother, is unconvinced of the preacher's piousness but unfortunately her mother is one of his greatest fans. It does stretch audience credibility but there is quite a bit missing - Sylvester seems to disappear from the movie after an establishing scene. Isabelle's mother can't understand her antipathy toward the preacher and arranges what looks like an exorcism but when she arrives home it is to find her daughter gone!! - along with her life savings!!Months later her mother tracks her down in Atlanta and there are some really interesting location shots of a city on the rise. She watches in secret as the half starved girl is given food from a sympathetic stranger (who looks suspiciously like one of the preacher's cronies) and goes to her shabby room to collapse - what happened to the money she took!! It takes a lot of persuading and a flashback of a nightmare experience in an abandoned cabin but Martha Jane is finally convinced of her daughter's innocence and the scene is set for a gripping denunciation in the church!!Like a few of these "race" movies the leading actress, this one was Julia Theresa Russell, tended to make only one or two films then return to oblivion but Russell was quite adequate in the role.

PWNYCNY This movie is one of the great movies produced during the silent screen era. First, it features a great performance by Paul Robeson who plays a duo role as a con man posing as a preacher and his straight laced twin brother. Second, the movie provides a story in which African Americans are portrayed as complex characters, devoid of the stereotypical depictions typical of the movies of that time. In some respects this movie is a precursor to the 1960 movie Elmer Gantry, especially as it relates to the depiction of the corrupt clergy/con man and how appeals to religion is used to rip off a hapless and clueless public. Further, the story is complex, with a lot of interesting characters, and is well acted. All in all, it is a first class cinematic event.

MartinHafer Considering that this film was an all-black production with a very low budget, the results are surprisingly good. After all, many films made by the black community to be viewed by the black community were pretty dreadful affairs--mostly due to the incredibly poor production values. Here, however, Oscar Micheaux manages to make a film that is better than most mainstream films of the day. Part of is that he got a lot out of his cast and the money used to make the film and part of it is because the plot was so daring--and very ahead of its time.Paul Robeson (in his first film) plays a horrible man. He is a con-man and poses as a preacher to bilk decent people out of their money. And, on top of that, he's a hard-drinking man who is not above using and destroying women in the process. For much of the film, his evil ways go undetected and he's seen as a pillar of the community. However, late in the film he goes way too far and his actions result in the death of a woman who inexplicably loved him. He is confronted with his evil near the end and this was very exciting. Unfortunately, this very modern and cynical look at church charlatans ran afoul of censors and Micheaux unfortunately was forced to tack on a bad ending that detracted, a bit, from the impact of the overall film.Despite not getting a chance to hear Robeson's gorgeous voice since this is a silent, it did give him a great chance to show he could act--and act very well. In fact, of the many all-black productions I have watched, this has some of the best overall acting. Sure, there are a few silly characters here and there--but not many. Most are quite believable. There are a few minor quibbles about the film--apart from the ending. First, Robeson's character is not introduced well. Instead of seeing him live like the devil, the intertitle cards at the beginning tell about him--too much really. Second, the woman dying was clichéd. You don't just die of a broken heart and it could have been done in a much more believable manner--such as a suicide or having him beat her to death. Still, compared to all the films of the day, it was a wonderfully made film--and well worth seeing.

tbarnettjr This was a good movie! I just saw it for the first time. I've never ever really sat down to watch a silent movie not to mention a "race film" made by a black producer back in the 1920's. I was impressed yet at the same time distraught by the stereotypical overtones. Being a man born in the 50's the written dialog was a bit challenging to decipher. However, I did enjoy the chance to interpret what I was seeing and not be forced to feel or react to things like most films do today.I enjoy films made by black producers because they often carry historical inferences but sadly still adorned with stereotypes. Nowadays it seems to be all about special effects, graphical imagery and money. Micheaux's "Body and Soul" doubtless was also about money because he had to pay bills too, but it's obvious he was into his craft. You can see this from the acting and storytelling. It emanated the typical and cynical parody of life which has manifested throughout generations. This film didn't need special effects to be appreciated or tell the story. The emotional acting of Isabelle (Mercedes Gilbert), the daughter, was impressive and a major faction of the film. The animated deceitful behavior of the reverend (Paul Robeson) along with well emphasized facial expressions was very entertaining. The mother's acting (Julia Theresa Russell) was descent. The ending was questionable. It moved the film into a completely different direction? Can't figure that one out? Maybe it was Micheaux's mind working the "What If?" factor.Micheaux, obviously no Alfred Hicthcock, I can see had to avoid subversive film-making to implore the white film industry with their vision of blacks. I'm sure if he were alive today I'd say, "Oscar, there's no reason for you to feel shame or disgrace having to produce films that way because things aren't so different now. They may seem to be, but still the same."