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Body and Soul

Paul Robeson made an auspicious film debut in a twin-role, in this key work from pioneering black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux.

Drama 1925 93 mins

Director: Oscar Micheaux

Rent for £3.50

Overview

The great Paul Robeson, the American stage star and activist who briefly became a big figure in British cinema, made his film debut in this key work from pioneering black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. One of a number of ‘race’ films produced for America’s segregated southern audiences, Body and Soul features an all-black cast, led by Robeson in a twin role as both a scheming convict posing as a reverend, attempting to swindle his congregation of their offerings, and his long-lost twin brother. The themes of morality and civility that run through the film are typical tropes of the race film, but Micheaux’s film has a potent force enhanced by Robeson’s undoubted star charisma.

Micheaux’s original cut was nine-reels long, but he was forced to cut footage after complaints about the story’s supposed sacrilegious elements. The five-reel version is the one that survives today. This digital restoration is presented here with a new score by Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky.

Director

Oscar Micheaux

Featuring

Paul Robeson , Marshall Rogers and Chester A. Alexander

Genres

Drama

Certificate

mild violence, threat, racist language

Country

USA

Language

English

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