The River Niger

Over the years I missed viewing this film and was extremely surprised at the great acting by the entire cast. I remembered that this film was created from a Tony Award winning off Broadway hit play and its deep look into the African American community in the 1970's. James Earl Jones,(Johnny Williams) is a house painter and has an extra hobby writing poetry. Cicely Tyson,(Mattie Williams) plays the wife of Johnny and tries to do her very best to work and keep the family from going down under during rough times and poverty all around them. Louis Gossett,Jr., (Dr. Dudley Stanton), is a very good friend to Johnny and helps him out financially when he spends all his income on booze and can't make the house payments. Super stars, Lou Gossett and Earl Jones make this a classic film and worth every minute of your time to view this film.

This movie starred some heavy-hitter actors, Black or otherwise: James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Louis Gossett Jr., Glynn Turman, and a couple of other familiar faces. There is a lot going on in the movie without there being a clear direction toward any one thing.

Johnny Williams (James Earl Jones) was a hopeless alcoholic whose sole source of pride was his military son, Jeff (Glynn Turman).

Jeff was like many young Black men in the 70's, he wanted more than what the world was willing to give him, but most of all he wanted to be his own man.

The movie had some erudite moments from both Johnny and Jeff, but at other times it seems to wander hoping to survive on poignant rhetoric. Unfortunately, I was watching a bad dub because the sound would drag and the picture quality was bad even for 1975--and this was an Amazon Prime video!

But, I'd never hold video or sound quality against a low budget drama. The overall product wasn't that great, but it had its moments and considering the budget was probably barely enough to cover bus fare to and from shoots, I'll give it a pass.

You don't have to be black to fully appreciate this film but..... What am I saying, of course you do! This film may be based on an award winning off Broadway hit play, but that does not prevent it from being a dated piece of boring black angst. James Earl Jones, Lou Gossett & Cicely Tyson give very credible performances, but the actors playing the younger roles were so hokey, the overall film becomes unwatchable. The young actress made up to be the grandmother was particularly inept. As much as I admire James Earl Jones, I must admit that I could not sit through the whole thing, so I do not know how it ends.

"The River Niger" is very much a time capsule of the mid-1970s. There's a lot of good acting, some bad acting, and some pretty much middle of the road direction. The director, Krishna Shah, is probably the main thing which keeps this good film from being great. He just doesn't have a real vision for this sort of thing. As you might expect from a stage adaptation, Joseph A. Walker's script is why this is worth watching. He writes excellent dialogue, characters, and best of all - poetry. Then again, there's a bit too much emphasis on the self-conscious black identity stuff, even for 1976.

James Earl Jones, who plays the poet, is the best thing about "The River Niger". He is very compelling, intense, and instantly likable. His performance, along with that of Louis Gossett Jr. (credited here as Lou Gossett), makes one wish there was a better made film to frame it. Definitely worth seeing, though.

This film contains several well known actors in some different types of roles than the ones we are used to seeing them in. For instance, there's Roger E. Mosely (TC on Magnum PI) as Big Moe, an activist/leader & Glynn Turman (Cooley High & the TV show, A Different World) as Jeff, who has just come home from flight school and is trying to stay out of trouble, but yet at the same time help the cause and his friends. With this movie, we get to see James Earl Jones (Johnny) as a regular everyday working man, a house painter, who just happens to have a knack for some of the most beautiful poetry around. Though he has his own problems, he still tries the best way he knows how to support his family. He is very proud of his son Jeff's accomplishments in flight school and wants more than anything to see him in his uniform. Cicely Tyson plays the ever-supporting wife, Mattie, who loves her husband (despite his 'ways') and family more than anything in the world. She tries to keep herself together even though she and her family are facing some very trying times. The grandmother, Geneva Wilhemnia Brown, is played by the lovely Hilda Haynes. She adds a bit of comic flair at times to the film and interacts especially well with Johnny. The talented Lou Gossett is Johnny's best friend & confidante, who often has to bail him out. These are two buddies who really love each other, even though they rib on each other a lot. The role of Anne was brilliantly done by Jonelle Allen as Jeff's fiancé.

In this film, Johnny & his son, Jeff must ultimately choose between what is right & what is best for for the family. These two strong-willed, passionate men are more alike than they realize and Mattie often has to be the voice of reason & neutrality. I feel that the ending, should have been more complete and given more of an "ending", so that the viewer wouldn't be left with any questions.

A well made film, though it doesn't seem to be too well known. This is the film adaptation of an off-Broadway play that garnered a Tony! Enjoy this worthwhile family drama!