Nothing But a Man

Director/CoScriptor Michael Roemer is responsible for the overall look and feel of this sensitive drama. Part social commentary, this film depicts a touching, often sad portrait of Americana during a challenging historical period.

Heading the talented cast is Ivan Dixon as Duff, who nicely underplays his role, letting his expression emerge from within. Singer Abbey Lincoln is seen in a nice dramatic turn as his girlfriend turned wife, Josie. Julius Harris renders a moving performance as Duff's spent father.

Robert M. Young's atmospheric black and white cinematography is most striking. Having received excellent critical notices, the film apparently never found a wide audience, and has become a "forgotten gem." Fortunately, it's on DVD to be appreciated by a new generation--who will be educated as well.

This movie is really honest about the relationships between a man and woman and family (esp. African-Americans), men (esp. black) and society, and Blacks and America (esp. the deep South). The characters were strangely familiar and real; I recognized them from my boyhood growing up a black boy in the rural south. It was startling to see some of my OWN best and worst character traits portrayed on screen. Though made in 1964, the film is still relevant to our present context, notwithstanding that times have changed. Ultimately, though the film is reaffirming, although in a honest, skilful manner that is not trite or facetious. The cinematography and use of real- world sets is excellent (Note the ironic sign on exiting one set, cheap metal stick-ons spelling "...Pool Palor") Highly recommended.

This is a very fine movie, but I won't lie to you: it's not always easy to watch. It recounts the story of a Black man in the 1960s American South (outside Birmingham, AL), his problems with relationships, with white men who mistreat him, etc. Sometimes he reacts in admirable ways, sometimes he does not. Because of that, and because of the very fine acting, the characters in this movie come off as very real, not at all Hollywood caricatures. But that doesn't always make the movie easy to watch.

It's more than worth the occasional discomfort, however, because it's really a very fine movie, one that presents very real people going though all too real life situations and dealing with them in very human ways. Not a movie you will forget quickly, I can promise you, and very definitely not a waste of your time to watch.

Memorable and poignant, Nothing But a Man is one of the glories of independent film; groundbreaking rather than earth shattering, its refusal to sentimentalize or overstate demonstrates true integrity. The film apprehends the simple existence of an ordinary couple in difficult circumstance, and the performances of Ivan Dixon and lovely jazz singer Abbey Lincoln are superbly naturalistic, and a well chosen and evocative supporting cast lends absolute credibility. The direction, editing, and cinematography are all fine, and the dialog is simply and beautifully convincing. Don't miss this rarely shown and extraordinarily rewarding film that, along with Point Blank, Pretty Poison, Rachel,Rachel, The Naked Kiss, Night of the Living Dead, Lolita,Rosemary's Baby,and They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, remains one of the absolutes of 60's American cinema. The multi-talented Ivan Dixon directed The Spook Who Sat By the Door(73) and was on the 60's TV series Hogan"s Heroes.

I've seen this movie twice and it touches me in a way that compels me to see it again and again. This film touches so many elements of poor southern existence that it feels more current than films made today. Though forty-one years later, with elements of the situational context dated, the film is eerily current. For example, with cotton-picking, day-working and railways section gangs replaced by newer working-class occupations, there remains a race-based hierarchy to life. NBAM brings to mind scenes from Crash minus the shock required for contemporary senses. I can only imagine what it was like to see this film when it was in the theater. As with so many genre-shifting and defing movies, watch it and the DVD extras section.