User reviews

"The Blood of Jesus" is a 1941 "race film" produced, directed, and starring black people and designed to be shown in theatres that served black people during a time when segregation still ruled in many parts of the US. It was written and directed by Spencer Williams (1893-1969) who also is featured as the husband of a woman (Cathryn Caviness) undergoing a spiritual challenge.

Williams is best known for playing Andy in the wonderful "Amos and Andy" TV series (1951-3), but his work as a major star and director of race films has been largely forgotten. Williams appeared in dozens of films from 1928 through 1947 and directed 12 films, including this one.

The film was made with a $5000 budget, provided by Williams. The actors are non-professionals, many of them taken from a local church group, the Reverend Robinson's Heavenly Choir. The story is taken from Southern Baptist folk lore and centers on the struggle for the soul of Cathryn Caviness, who lies dying after being accidentally shot by Williams. Caviness' soul is tempted by an over-the-top Satan (Jas. B. Jones) while a sweet angel (Rogenia Goldthwaite) tries to keep her on the moral road.

There are a few special effects, but generally the acting and photography are what you'd expect with a $5,000 budget. What makes the film valuable is the anthropological value of watching life for Southern Blacks – their music, their dance joints, their belief systems, their language, etc. We even get to observe a baptism. In 1991 the film was selected as part of the Library of Congress National Film Registry.

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.

This is a fascinating movie considering its origins and production. The movie itself is very amateur, like a bad student film, the tech specs laughably bad, editing as bad as anything you're likely to ever see, but all that is part of its charm. The value of this movie is in its historical value. This is the beginning of the black film industry. At the time this was made, blacks had little to no power in the film industry and racial segregation was the norm. With this void in the market, blacks took it upon themselves to make product for that market. This film feels like exactly what it is - the very beginning of an industry where novice people are creating their own market. As bad as it is on many levels, it has the same honesty and simplicity that gave us the Mississippi Delta blues and black gospel music. The result, though amateur, is surprisingly interesting and entertaining. It's also fun to watch what black Americans found entertaining in 1941. This is an important movie that needs to be viewed and preserved.

This film is of some historical interest in that it represents black independent filmmaking of the 30s and 40s, intended primarily for black audiences. It also gives those who remember the "Amos and Andy" TV show a chance to see the earlier, serious work of Spencer Williams who portrayed Andy on the show and who wrote, directed, and starred in this film, as he did several others. Unfortunately, the acting and technical aspects of this film are so primitive that it is almost unfair to criticize it. It is an earnest and well meant effort, but worth watching only for a few nice religious images and the fine gospel singing on the soundtrack.

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.

The slowest hour of your life. The best and worst of independent film-making. Only religious zealots should entertain watching this historical piece.

This attempt at religious meaning is a complete failure. It is unfortunate that it is a black production, but it would not have mattered if the creators were white, yellow or green. The material is terrible. Spencer Williams was a talented man; his portrayal of Andy in the famous Amos and Andy franchise is immortal. However, in this venture, he obtained a bad misfire.

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.

I enjoyed this movie much more than I thought I would. It seems that the

cast had little to work with (sets, costumes, etc.) but they did a

pretty decent job. Once I started it I could not keep my eyes off of it. I saw lots of good camera work that I would not have expected from a low budget movie. The message today might seem kind of hokey to "modern" minds, but for its day and time it was pretty much right on target.

Fabulous, in more than one sense of that word. A unique and wonderful film. Angels and other visions float in and out of a surreal Southern landscape. The acting is perfectly suited to what is clearly a director's film. The music includes lots of downhome spirituals, and some blues and jazz. The vaudeville scene, with that contortionist woman, is something else. The swing dancing in the jook joint also is terrific. The story is felt more than told. High artistry -- I might have to see it a few more times to really understand it. It also is marvelous to consider what Williams must have gone through to finance and make and promote and distribute this film. True art has a way of getting made and getting out there, somehow.

Of course this is very different than watching big budget films of the past 50-plus years. This was an all-black production which, as of this year, was released 72 years ago. (From what I know of film editing, it could well have been filmed 75 years ago.) A great piece of history with great music and very sweet story.

The story begins pretty much at the point where an attractive young woman is going down to the river along with a congregation of Christians to be baptized. We learn a little bit about her from a couple members of the congregation gossiping with one another, talking about how her husband of 3 years (or 3 months -- can't remember) went hunting rather than coming to attend her baptism.

We soon learn too, after the newly baptized woman returns home, that her husband is also a poacher (if that is the right word). The woman makes an appeal to her husband to "get religion," explaining that it will make them much happier.

Then it starts getting interesting...

Two thumbs up!!! One more note about the music and singing: Fantastic! Reminds me of the kind of 78 rpm records many collectors love to listen to, needle scratches and all. You just can't get this kind of music today (generally). This is a film I am bound to want to watch again and again just to hear the music and singing. I also believe and know from my own experience that the Blood of Jesus is indeed a powerful ally in this world currently still under the administration of the Adversary -- so I love the message too, even if it does serve a lot of "corn" with some serious gospel.

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.

One of the first (and oldest) films made by a black film-maker, this film, despite its rough construction, is poetic in telling its story of devilish temptation and heavenly salvation.

Blood of Jesus, The (1941)

* (out of 4)

Spencer Williams, future star of TV's Amos and Andy, wrote, produced, directed and stars in this historically important, all-black feature film. This low budget feature suffers from various problems but, due to the historical importance, it was selected to the National Film Registry in 1991. A young woman (Cathryn Caviness) is baptized and later that evening accidentally shot by her husband (Williams). Before dying, an angel takes the woman to the Crossroads where she can select Heaven or Hell. However, before she can choose the Devil shows up with his assistant (named Judas) to try and steer her the wrong way. This film was made on a budget lower than $5,000 and you can really tell because the film features some of the worst acting I've ever seen. We're talking an Ed Wood level here as there are several moments where the actors flub their lines, struggle to remember them and then finally deliver them. The film tells an interesting story but the actual "story" only lasts for about ten minutes and the rest of the time we just watch people standing around the woman praying. The religious overtones will beat you nearly to death but the Gospel music is terrific and is the only highlight of the film.

Martha Ann Jackson (Catheryn Caviness), a young woman accidently shot by her husband (Spencer Williams) is escorted by an angel to the crossroads between Hell and Zion, only to have a leering Satan (James B. Jones) and his disciple Judas lure her away to a place of ungodly lewdness, drink, debauchery and jazz. This simple morality tale, an early example of Black film-making (directed by Williams), is primitive in execution but interesting to watch. Pretty and fragile-looking Caviness, who was never in another film, is quite good as the woman being tempted by the devil and the various sins that she encounters before making the ultimate decision are amusing. The limited 'special effects' are often blurry (perhaps to hide defects) and the sound is not well synchronised to the imagery but the gospel soundtrack is appealing, as is the apparent sincerity of the largely non-professional cast. There are some unfortunate under-cranking effects when characters are running that leads to unintentional comic effects and some overly long scenes (especially at the end); otherwise, 'Blood of Jesus' is an interesting, watchable bit of cinematic history.