According to critic Irving Howe, "the day Native Son appeared American culture was changed forever." Richard Wright's debut novel was published in 1940 and became a runaway bestseller--unheard of, at the time, for the work of a black author. The fact that the book's central character, Bigger Thomas, was an angry black man who accidentally killed a white woman, and then murdered another woman to preserve his secret makes the success even more remarkable. Yet in Wright's bold warning (the victim grows into the victimizer), the endless cycle of violence which racism begets is made abundantly clear and Native Son, together with the autobiographical Black Boy, ensured the author's place in the pantheon of American literature. This engrossing literary biography combines scenes from the flawed 1986 remake of Native Son (as well as the abysmal 1951 version which starred an overage Wright in the central role), other dramatic snippets based on selections from Wright's work, archival footage from the author's life, and commentary from biographers, critics, the late Ralph Ellison, and Wright's daughter Julia. Lionized during the 1940s, Wright spent the 1950s in France to avoid the Communist witch-hunts (Wright had been an outspoken member earlier in his life), and wrote a series of non-fiction works which were poorly received as were the novels written during this period. The subject of FBI surveillance and harassment, Wright feared for his life towards the end and died under mysterious circumstances--a lonely and broken man--at the age of 52. Highly recommended for larger literature collections. (R. Pitman)
Richard Wright: Black Boy
(1994) 87 min. $69.95: public libraries & high schools; $195: colleges and universities. California Newsreel. PPR. Color cover. Vol. 10, Issue 4
Richard Wright: Black Boy
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: