Pioneers of African-American Cinema

The wonderful legacy of African-American filmmaking is largely unknown to even the most passionate film buffs. This landmark boxed set marks the first serious effort devoted to collecting and preserving feature films and shorts produced for black audiences, mostly made by African-American filmmakers, between 1915 and 1946. Independent director-producer Oscar Micheaux, the most prolific black filmmaker of his day, directly confronted race and racism in such movies as Within Our Gates (1920), which broaches the then-taboo subjects of miscegenation and lynching; The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920), Micheaux's response to Birth of a Nation; and Birthright (1938). This compilation includes nine features and one short from Micheaux, including his most famous film Body and Soul (1925), starring Paul Robeson in his film debut. Also included here are two feature films and a short by actor-director Spencer Williams, including his hugely successful directorial debut The Blood of Jesus (1941). The scope of the set embraces drama, slapstick comedy, music, adventure, and documentary, with the latter represented by Zora Neale Hurston's landmark ethnographic films chronicling life in rural African-American communities. Other highlights include The Flying Ace (1926), with its black aviator hero; The Bronze Buckaroo (1939), featuring longtime Duke Ellington singer Herb Jeffries as a singing cowboy; and the amateur films of African-American evangelists James and Eloyce Gist, whose allegorical dramas combine religious and folklore imagery with messages of faith. Arguably the most historically important home video release of the past few years, this excellent collection (the Blu-ray edition includes four exclusive shorts) features extras including numerous interviews with historians and archivists, as well as an 80-page booklet. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Axmaker)