The Blood of Jesus

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.