The Blood of Jesus

Perhaps it's best to think about "The Blood of Jesus" as a great piece of "naïve" art. The technique is primitive, but its content reveals to us the deep spirituality of the people portrayed--a kind of ethnographic study against a background of two contrasting (but maybe not so contrasting) musical forms: Negro Spirituals and swinging jive and blues.

The story plays out like a children's fairy tale, with the forces of righteousness and sinfulness given human form--and I must confess that,as an atheist, I sure dug the pleasures to be found at the night club more than the baptismal dunking in the river. Nonetheless, the feelings of rapture conveyed by the choir were so powerful that it had me and my atonal wife singing along with them and saying to myself: "Sinner Repent!." Ultimately deeply moving and strongly recommended.

The jury that selects each year the National Film Registry is unpredictable: films as "The Blood of Jesus" merit to be rescued, for its anthropological value and for being a forerunner in the evolution of African-American cinema and filmmakers, but I have seen quite a few whose inclusion could only be justified by provincialism, as "Road to Morocco", "Lassie Come Home" and "Knute Rockne All American". In the religion fable "The Blood of Jesus", inspired by a poem by Langston Hughes and set within a black community in the South, a Baptist sister dies when she is accidentally shot by the shotgun of her atheist husband. She is then guided by an angel and tempted by the Devil in her post-mortem trip to Heaven, and goes off course into a couple of bars in the city, where she gets into trouble. It is true that the actors are amateurs, that the extras look directly to camera, and the dramaturgy is elementary. It is also true that the special effects and decors are poor, but it is clear that the film was chosen because it captured on film a few traits and manifestations of Americans of African descent, in which there is a way to do and say that is both spontaneous and naive, beyond the interference of camera, lights and technicians. The baptism in the river, the dance in the city bar, the gospel hymns sung by the choir in the dying woman's room, the costumes of the angel and the Devil (out of a costume party for children), and the Devil himself playing the piano with a band, compensate and amuse (sometimes unintentionally) for a pious tale, full of praises to the "All Mighty Lord", with an African-American sister that has to choose between the road to Heaven and the road to Zion (!), and even including the literal blood of Jesus to set her free.

An atheist accidentally shoots his Baptist wife. She dies and goes to a crossroads, where the devil tries to lead her astray.

"The Blood of Jesus" was produced in Texas on a budget of $5,000. To present the afterlife, Williams used scenes from a 1911 Italian film called "L'Inferno" that depicted souls entering Heaven. A wise way to save on the very limited budget.

For years, "The Blood of Jesus" was considered a lost film until prints were discovered in the mid-1980s in a warehouse in Tyler, Texas. Although not a great film (the Satan costume is silly), it does do a nice job capturing Southern gospel culture. Many, many hymns are sung, and although they may not have changed much in the past 70 or so years, this makes for a great set piece on African-American religion practices.

Razz kills his Christian wife Martha when his rifle falls over and discharges. The church congregation gathers at her bedside to pray for her recovery and, during this time, an angel comes to take her spirit. She is brought to the Crossroads between Heaven and Hell and tempted by an agent of Satan.

A Spencer Williams film, in which he co-stars, with Cathryn Caviness as Martha. Made on a shoestring budget, it is a significant film and of merit on a number of levels. Given the portrayal of black characters in that era, it is somewhat surprising that Williams's work has now been largely forgotten.

BLOOD OF Jesus must be judged within its own very special context, and not by current commercial cinematic standards. In its own context, BLOOD OF Jesus is not only an important cultural document but a compelling and great film. Yes, its production values seem crude and its performances rudimentary, though wholly sincere; it must be remembered that the budget was of necessity very low and that the actors had little experience or access to theatrical training).

But the artistry of the director, Spencer Williams, shouldn't be underestimated: his sophisticated layering of symbols and imagery (from Protestant, Catholic, and Yoruba religious tradition) and his priceless snapshot of African-American life and culture at a crucial juncture is not just eye-opening but enjoyable. And the music is authentic and first-rate.