The Green Pastures

When you pop either THE GREEN PASTURES or HALLELUJAH in your DVD player, Warner Brothers' disclaimer comes up, stating these films "are a product of their time.... it does not express Warner Brothers' opinion....." Okay, they're setting the record straight. They want to present two excellent movies, without offending anyone. The "warning" is eclipsed by two factors. These two films, both with all black casts, showcase amazing talent often smothered by the then Hollywood studio system. They also both carry a message of faith told in a very entertaining manner.

THE GREEN PASTURES opens with a Sunday School sermon in the deep south. The classroom is made up of attentive black children asking some pretty intelligent questions about the Bible. We peek into one child's view of heaven. Since this child probably knows very little of the world outside her community, heaven is one big fish-fry with plenty to eat, where the adults get to hangout and smoke ten-cent "see-gars".

It's here where God (referred to in the film as "De Lawd") makes an appearance. This is an Oscar worthy performance by Rex Ingram, one of many black actors at the time who seldom received decent film work from Hollywood. Ingram plays "De Lawd" in a sweet, soft-spoken manner, never talking down to the humans he created. "Now you're just doing fine," he tells Adam. "But there's just one thing missing. You need a family." Ingram's quiet tone always tells us this guy has things in order. Film fans may remember Rex Ingram as Jim in HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1939) and as the laughing, constantly sarcastic genie in THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940). Not only was Ingram an accomplished stage actor, but he was a certified MD as well!

Ingram also plays Adam and Hezdrel. During the later performance, GREEN PASTURES most memorable time-tested message comes across very simply. We realize this is truly a cinematic classic. The Bible stories are depicted here in pseudo 20th century settings with old world behavior. (Much like the villages in the first three FRANKENSTEIN films) Moses is a modern-day "trickster" who gives Pharaoh's top magician a run for his money. In another scene, a pistol packing gangster in a double breasted suit mouths off to Noah.

Enjoyable movie about a preacher telling his Sunday school class Bible stories about Adam & Eve, Noah, Moses, and more, putting his own distinct spin and flavor on these well-told tales. It's a film that's notable for featuring an all-black cast at a time when such a thing was very uncommon. Today, sadly, the focus for many is on the negatives. Yes, there are stereotypes at play and yes, there's a patronizing tone to the film at times. But rest assured there are no Stepin Fetchits here. One aspect many will flinch at is the stereotyped black voice, which is really more of a white writer's perception of the black voice. That was a common problem back then and, frankly, it often still is today.

Fine performances all around with the great Rex Ingram a standout playing several roles. Special mention to George Reed, an actor who doesn't receive much praise but I've enjoyed him in many films. Some of you might recognize him as Conover from the Dr. Kildare series. Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson also appears as Noah. It's an important movie historically and culturally, not just for African-Americans but for everybody. Quality production with a good script and solid direction. Flawed, yes, but heartwarming entertainment that will put a smile on the face of most discerning viewers.

I watched this movie late at night with a bunch of munchkins and wondered why more of the adults didn't come watch it with us... It is a unique, well-made, unassuming, enjoyable, surprising, well-told "story." I say "story," because it is a description more than a tale of one way to conceive of the "Lawd of heaven." Gotta love the southern accents. They did a great job and left me rethinking the way I thought of things and smiling as I thought of the way they portrayed it all. It was also curious to me to see how society's perception of music, race, and Sundays has changed, but how some things never change.

Favorite quote... by "The Lawd" - "I'm going ta make me a miracle"

I realize that many modern audiences might be turned off by this film due to the politically correct times we live in--probably moreso for the religious references than for the racial stereotypes. Nonetheless, it's a genuine feel-good movie full of love, kindness, and yes, morality. I'd first read the play for a drama class many years ago, and I was absolutely stunned by it, although I figured that I'd never get to see a production of it. Imagine my delight finding it in the video store and actually taking all of it in. BTW--regarding the racial issues here: it continually amazes me how so many people in the African-American community would find this film and "Song of the South" offensive, yet these same people praise Nelly for "Pimpin'" and Ludicrous touting "Ho's in the bedroom." Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don't like itwhen whites tout ghetto stereotypes, and it's just as offensive to me when blacks do it. Yet, we MUST protect the children from "Green Pastures" and "Song of the South" because they perpetuate "racist stereotypes." Okay, I'm off my soap box--rent this film--it's a masterpiece.

I first saw "The Green Pastures" quite by accident as a 13 year-old while visiting grandparents in Detroit, Michigan many, many years ago...I never forgot it.

Years later, in college, while on a date, I was telling my date about it and we stopped by the school library so I could find a copy of the play to show her...she loved it, too. I've since bought the tape and watch it every now-and-then when I want to smile and feel good.

I remember asking my mom about the movie when I first saw it and always remembered her response..."how do you think the little black children in the movie pictured God and others in the Bible?" And that, of course, is exactly what Marc Connelly was trying to get us to think about.

Though the original play/movie may have met resistance in the South, it was a hit in New York. To the eternal historical revisionists of today who see nothing but stereotypes and negative images, I'd suggest you take another look.

Country folk of the early part of this century did talk with accents and few had much education (whites as well as blacks). The dialog of the film is less a contrived stereotype than it is a snapshot of what the simple life was like. It's not hard for me to imagine a dedicated Mr. Deshee teaching kids in Sunday School about the good book. Nor is it hard to understand why they might picture pharoe's guards in double-breasted suits like the gangsters in the news of their youth, or relating any number of other scenes to what was familiar to them.

Connelly was not trying to convert viewers to religion...he was trying to get those already converted to see the personal relationship with God enjoyed by all his children, regardless of their station in life.

There are no whites in the movie, just as there were no whites in the immediate community where the story takes place. This movie was not made with the burden of every social dilemma we've struggled with over the years. To blindly force modern perceptions and racial baggage on it does nothing but dampen the simple joy of this unique gem.