Death Of A Prophet; The Torture Of Mothers

These two releases from the newly formed Essenay Entertainment label, are docudramas from independent filmmaker Woodie King, Jr. that might have been powerful in their day, but seem quite dated by contemporary independent filmmaking standards. Death of a Prophet stars Morgan Freeman (Driving Miss Daisy) as Malcolm X, and the drama chronicles the last days of his life. While Freeman is excellent (despite some melodramatic dialogue) as the doomed religious leader and activist, the supporting cast is occasionally laughably bad, as is the portentous dialogue which makes many a somber scene seem silly. Both the soundtrack and the filming style will seem otherworldly to modern viewers who are accustomed to seeing more recent documentaries. The Torture of Mothers, starring Ruby Dee, is a little better, as it examines the widely publicized case of the "Harlem Six," six Black youths who were unjustly accused of murder, and subjected to police brutality. Based on audio tapes from the mothers, the dialogue often carries the ring of truth-even if it is occasionally delivered by bad actresses (with the notable exception of Dee, who is perfectly natural in the role). The same problems with the style of filming and the percussion-heavy jazz soundtrack that characterize Death of a Prophet appear here. An unfortunate addition is that the narrator sounds like Jack Webb doing Dragnet. Neither title is recommended. (Available from most distributors.)