Song of Freedom

It's sad that this sort of film simply could not have been made in Paul Robeson's home country at the time due to racism. Instead, Robeson went to the UK and made a few films--too few. I say this because he had a wonderful screen presence and his singing was gorgeous.

Robeson plays 'John Zinga'--a London dockworker descended from royalty back in Africa. Oddly, he lacks a British accent (while Robeson was a brilliant and multi-talented man, apparently a British accent was beyond him) and he has a weird sort of consciousness of his people and Africa within him. It goes far deeper than his interest in his cultural homeland--Robeson's character is fixated on the place and seems to have bits and pieces in the back of his mind about his homeland--though no one apparently ever told him about this--at least as far as he can remember. So, after becoming a huge singing star and learning more about the exact place in Africa where his forebears came from, he takes off for the place to get in touch with his roots.

The second portion of the film takes place an Zananga, Africa. There, Robeson is eventually recognized as a descendant of kings and brings culture, medicine and western civilization to these people--but it is a hard fight to get them to abandon their ineffective ways. It's nice that it's NOT a case of whites bringing this to these 'dark' people but a black man bringing this knowledge to them--making it seem a little less paternalistic. In many ways, this portion of the film seems like a call to other black men and women to return and contribute to their ancestral lands.

Overall, while the film might seem a bit old fashioned today, it really is a remarkable film in many ways. The most obvious is because of its unusual subject mater, but more important aspects should not be lost on the viewer. To have a mainstream film starring a strong and talented black man was very progressive for its day. And, seeing Robeson liked and respected by all as a person--even by his white co-workers. In many ways the film comes off as a bit overly ideal--absent is racism and in this film a good black man can achieve practically anything--a message that must have resonated in the black communities in the UK as well as back home in the States. A daring film and a great chance to see and hear an amazingly gifted man. For more on this, read his biography on IMDb--you'll see what I mean.

In reviewing movies starring people of color in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now in 1936 when singer/actor Paul Robeson has one of his strongest roles yet on film. In this one, he's Johnny Zinga, a London dockworker whose constant singing during break time gets him the attention of impresario Gabriel Donozetti (Esme Percy) who offers him a chance to entertain in various concerts. He becomes successful but something pulls him back to his ancestral homeland in Africa and when someone confirms his heritage, he chucks his career to bring himself and his wife, Ruth (Elisabeth Welch) along with servant Monty (Robert Adams), there to claim his inherited royalty. But the native leader (James Solomon) there doubts him along with the rest of the tribe with the exception of Mandingo (Ecce Homo Toto). I'll stop there and just say this was dramatically satisfying from beginning to end and Robeson really carries the film on his own shoulders whether singing or reciting his lines. Ms. Welch herself has a nice singing voice as shown near the end. Some humor is also appreciated whenever Donozetti teaches some lessons to Johnny and since Monty is the same race as his superiors, his stereotypical antics is not as offensive as it would be with a Caucasian as his boss. So in summation, Song of Freedom is one of the most compelling films in Paul Robeson's career. P.S. One of his numbers is from the operatic version of "The Emperor Jones" as adopted musically by Louis Gruenberg. If you know about Mr. Robeson, you know his previous portrayal in the title role when it was originally a play and then later a movie.

Although no-one could call this a great movie, it is of compelling historical interest. At a time when Black people in the movies were servants or scoundrels, Paul Robeson portrayed a London dock-worker who is discovered by an impresario and launches a great singing career; after that, he goes to Africa to bring education and enlightenment to the tribespeople.

It's easy to be harsh on this movie; it shows the people of Africa as benighted savages in need of guidance (only this time they get it from Robeson, playing an Afro-cockney). The whole second half plays in tropical-adventure mode, with all the clichés of the 1930s.

But you have to realize that the film's sympathies are with the London dock-workers, black and white; it goes to great lengths to show them treating each other with friendship and respect, and this is the most notable part of the story. Everyone else is a caricature - the impresario, the aristocratic explorer, the witch-doctor, and so on.

Anyone who has a tolerance for 1930s films will quickly realize that this is much better than most of them, and is worth a look for many reasons, not the least is the opportunity to hear Robeson's great singing voice. One curious fact is that this is from Hammer Studios, which later became identified with horror films.

A must see for anyone interested in cinema.

This was a fairly good film dating back to 1936 from Hammer Productions in Britain. Starring Paul Robeson, whose extraordinary vocal talents are properly utilized. It's the story of a African-Briton living in England after slavery has been abolished in the European nation. He works on the docks and his one dream in life to discover his ancestry in Africa. His interest is fueled by a song that he sings often, be it to his wife or during his job on the docks. A song that he never learned, but as he would put it, was always inside of him. His amazing bass singing voice is over-heard by a theater yuppie and he is quickly recruited to the stage appearing in theatrical productions while utilizing his singing talents. After creating a fan following and with the help of some knowledge from a theater-goer, he decides to finally take the trip to Africa to find his "roots." Overall, the film is good, if not a bit too idealistic. But it doesn't harm the film's integrity and Robeson's great talent as both an actor and singer. Seeing how this film is not known well, I would recommend it. It's not a very long picture; it runs just under and hour and twenty minutes. So take some the time, and find this movie. If not for the film, then do it for Robeson's incredible vocal talents.***

If you can possibly see The Song Of Freedom by all means do so. It's a chance to see Paul Robeson sing and give a fine acting performance in a story set partially in Africa. It's a mini-version of the famous American mini-series Roots. Paul in fact carries his roots with him both in a song that's been with him since birth and a medallion handed down to him from an ancestor who was sold into slavery and who was king of his people. That's all dealt with in a short prologue.

Fast forward to 1936 and Robeson is working on the London docks and also provides a bit of entertainment for his fellow stevedores. Impresario Esme Percy discovers him and turns Robeson into a concert/opera singer. But one night a backstage visitor tells Robeson that this melody which he has engraved in his soul is the chief's song from a particular tribe in Africa. Robeson and wife Elisabeth Welch go to that part of Africa where he attempts to reassert his royal prerogatives.

As a colonizing power in Africa, the British picked up knowledge about the place that Americans only gleaned from Edgar Rice Burroughs and other such pulp fiction authors. And in these years prior to World War II did film a lot of stories on location there such as The Four Feathers in the Sudan. Song Of Freedom was shot on location in Sierra Leone for the African part of the story. It's light years more real than anything you would get from Hollywood.

Incidentally the gambit of the 'lost song' may very well have been lifted from the Victor Herbert operetta Naughty Marietta. No matter, it's well done and provides Robeson with a number.

Elisabeth Welch who was a fine singer in her own right gets to do Sleepy Rivers. I wish she had been given more to do.

Seeing both Paul Robeson and a glimpse of the real Africa is a chance no one should pass up.