Song of Freedom (film)
Encyclopedia
Song of Freedom is a 1936
British
film starring Paul Robeson
.
One of two elements pivotal to the plot is an opera
composer
named Gabriel Donizetti, presumably suggested by the historical opera composer Gaetano Donizetti
. The other is a medallion that serves to identify Robeson's character as a descendant of an Africa
n monarch.
Song of Freedom may best represent the opportunity Robeson was looking for to "give a true picture of many aspects of the life of the coloured man in the West. Hitherto on the screen, he has been characterized or presented only as a comedy character. This film shows him as a real man." Robeson was also given final cut approval on the film, an unprecedented option at the time for an actor of any race.
As in Sanders of the River, the film called for documentary scenes of West African traditional dances and ceremonies, but this time Robeson obtained a contract giving him final cut, so that the film’s message would not be changed behind the doors of the editing room.
Robeson plays Zinga, a black dockworker in England with a great baritone singing voice. He is discovered by an opera impresario, and is catapulted into great fame as an international opera star. Yet he feels alienated from his African past, and out of place in England. By chance, he is informed that an ancestral medallion that he wears is proof of his lineage to African kings, and he leaves fame and fortune to take his rightful place of royalty. Reunited with his people, he plans to improve their lives by combining the best of western technology with the best of traditional African ways.
Although the film was not a box office success in the US, it was notably chosen in 1950 to open the convention of Ghana
’s People’s Party. The ceremonies were presided over by the future first prime minister of independent Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah
, Robeson’s friend from his London years.
Then the brutal queen come, with leopard skin dress and a hay hat on, and a shell necklace with a medallion, a symbol of kingship. Laughing vigorously, she is teasing a man tied on a wooden column, who is supposed to be the king of Casanga. She took off the necklace and put it on the poor man’s neck, teasing him even more as a ‘one second king’ and trying to kill him right away. Suddenly, a girl, feeling frustrated by the cruelty of the execution, rushed in the queen’s and gapped the medallion. Being astonished, the queen ordered her army to catch the fleeing girl to snatch the medallion back. However, with the help of the strong boy mentioned at the beginning, they are able to escape the arrest of the soldiers and got on a raft to row to the mainland. There they turn to a slave owner for help. With pleasure the slave owner accept them and put them on chain. Then, along with all the other blacks the white slave owner captured the couple, is filled with anxiety and fear, is sent to England by boat to begin their new, but not sure whether better or not, live.
Time flows past as many historic events happened, such as the abolishment of the slave trade in 1807 in England. But not until 1833 did the slaves themselves are free from the oppressing situation and the social status for blacks start to improve. Chains and handcuffs are destroyed, ropes and whips are burned, and a seemingly brand new story begins. John Zinga, a black dockworker in England with a great baritone singing voice. His singing impressed all his colleges on the wharf. Children in his apartment fell asleep soundly when he sings, but he himself doesn’t realized what he can make use of his gifted voice. In fact, what keeps hovering in his mind is the eagerness to find out his origin and the help he can provide for his people, although he doesn’t know who he is originated. He always considers out of place in London and is often blamed by his wife ‘not satisfied’, but never did he change his mind. Finally, one day a famous opera impresario hear him singing and try his best to find him out. And in a pub, while John is being invited by the owner to sing the song ‘lonely road’, Gabriel Donizetti, the famous impresario, comes quietly in from the door and sit in the raveling audience, watching, listening, enjoying the beautiful song. ‘No more docker, but a great career’ Gabriel promises John, who is shocked and surprised since he think he can achieve his dream of travelling back to Africa by this chance. They shake hand with each other and Gabriel left a card for John to come to his hotel room the next day.
John can’t wait to go. The next day he dressed in suit---apparently his first time since he both walk and act in a lame and inappropriate way. John’s wife is also with him to deal with the hotel managers. In the end they found the way to Gabriel’s room and Gabriel starts a serious of test and introduces several skills to help John improve his singing. At first John reluctant to accept those instructions, like ‘breathing from stomach’ and ‘sounding from breast’, claiming that ‘he knows how to sing’. And he rejects to sing in suit since he doesn’t feel ‘free’. His voice significantly lack the emotion compare to that when he sing freely with friends and in pub about his homeland Africa. But after his wife’s comforting, mainly focus on the chance of travelling back to Africa, he is persuaded to follow those doctrinaire rules and techniques.
After hundreds of thousands of work and practices, he became an international opera star succeed in all kind of concert and dramas. This brings him wealth and fame that he has never dreamt of. Yet he feels alienated from his African past, always being sarcastic to his slave-born identity as his being referred as the Negro King. One day after a great performance, John is instructed to give a speech about what he feels about his success. Not good at speech, he sings an old song derived from his long lost childhood memory that he barely remember and has to put some words in it. In the song, he himself is regarded as a ‘wanderer’ and ‘hears the cold fell by his people’. John has a feeling that by singing the song he may find out some information about his origin, which means much to him. The result didn’t fail him. The song is moving and revokes one of the audience’s memories about the song. He then came to the dressing room at the back of the stage and talk to John about what he knows. John then finds out that his ancestor belongs to the island of Casanga, located on the west coast of Africa. The audience, Pele, was the only white escapes from the island since the island was dominate once by a brutal queen, now by a wicked witch doctor. And the song John sang was the secret song passes on by every king, regarded as the Song of Freedom of their people. Pele also told John about the medallion hanging on John’s neck, which he get from his father and his father gets from his great-grand father, is the symbol of the kingship-----he, John Zinga, is the king of his people. Hearing that his people are still uncivilized on the island, John’s mind of going back to his homeland and help his people became even more determined. At this time Gabriel happens to come in and tell John about a good news----a new contract to work in the great city New York. John refused to go to New York to carry on his singing career since he considers his people bigger than his success. Gabriel is mad about John leaving his career, but cannot stop him from crossing the ocean to come to the little island in Africa.
What happens to John when he arrive the island? He, his wife and a servant was not trusted by the aboriginals. Even they are in the same skin color and John has the medallion which proves him the kings, John and his fellows are still considered out-comers, strangers or even bad guys coming from the whites’ country. That’s far from John’s expectation, which let John down for a time. His servant wants to resign and tell him to give up, even himself thinks the place is too primitive and his people are too hard to change. But his wife stands on his side and encouraged him ‘the worse things are, the more you can change.’ Soon he cheers up and waits for his chance in a shabby dome. And it comes. John found out that the witch doctor lock the patient up instead of treating them for the lack of medicine. The witch doctor also announced that when a person gets sick---no matter a fever or cancer-----he’s dead rather than ill. To deal with this inhuman act, John gives the patient Penicillin and tries to heal them. Some of the people start to believe John. They talk to John “I’m your man, but you can be no king.” But this doesn’t last long when the witch doctor began to form various rituals to cast the ‘disaster’ the out comers brought to the island. What’s worse is that the people’s trust on John diminish since the patient he tried to cure all die. To break the superstition John interrupted the rites, attempting to show that no taboos are going to active on him, but was scolded by the crowds. Therefore the witch doctor come up with a task of bring the rain. He claimed that by rituals he can always bring rains to the island, then the gods and ghosts will satisfied and cast no disaster and diseases to the men and women; yet John point out frankly that the cause of disease is the bacteria and germs in the river and he cannot bring rains but he can help saving the rain. And he begins to illustrate the amazing life brought by technology improvement from the other side of the ocean. With the assist of his followers, more and more and people in the clan believe him.
The witch doctor is so pissed that he jump up and down to try scare people from getting in touch with John. While they are debating, John’s wife ran out and shouted to the witch doctor to support her husband. But that violate the taboo of not letting women to join the ritual and the witch doctor is perfectly justified to put John’s wife in the basement. John, who tried to protect his wife, is also tied up by the army. They are going to execute both of them the next day. And by the moonlight, John’s wife sang miserably to John to show her dismay. John’s followers bring John his gun but John refuse to accept. He determines to not to use force to hurt his people but convinced them in other way.
Next day the ritual is being held. The witch doctor performed different kinds of tricks, such as fire swallowing to intimidate his people, so that John’s followers are afraid to rescue them. Both of John and his wife is tide on a wooden pole, waiting to be killed, just as hundreds of years ago, the evil in charge of the island and win against the justice. Then the drums for the execution starts…and the rhythm starts to sound increasingly familiar with John…It’s the Song of the freedom, the secret song pass on by the each kings of the island. He can’t help but starts singing the Song of Freedom. He sang so well that the crowds turn astonishment to appreciation and admiration. He’s the king!! Someone from the crowd shout out and all people eventually believe he is the king and willing to listen to him. John wins against the witch doctor at last and achieves his dream. He goes back to America and frequently brings back medicine and technology of all kind, helping his people to be civilized and educated.
At the end of movie, John picks up his career as a singer again and perform the song he sang long time ago, ‘lonely road’ in a stage decorate as his little island, referring to his achieving of dream and the help he brought to his people, leading them to a better life.
Elisabeth Welch ... Ruth Zinga , John’s wife who always encouraged John when his down
Esme Percy ... Gabriel Donozetti, a an influential impresario who discover John as a singer, suggested by the historical opera composer Gaetano Donizetti
Robert Adams ... Monty
James Solomon ... Native Leader
Ecce Homo Toto ... Mandingo
Ronald Simpson ... Mr. Blane, the Pianist
George Mozart ... Bert Puddick
Jenny Dean ... Marian
Joan Fred Emney ... Nell Puddick
Bernard Ansell ... Sir James Pyrie
Johnnie Schofield
Ambrose Manning ... Trader
Arthur Elliott (as Hon. Arthur Eliot)
Cornelia Smith ... Queen Zinga) , a brutal queen rules over the island long time ago
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung a cappella by Paul Robeson
• "Sleepy River"
Music by Eric Ansell
Lyrics by Henrik Ege
Sung by Paul Robeson
Reprised by Elisabeth Welch on the island
• "Lonely Road"
Music by Eric Ansell
Lyrics by Henrik Ege
Sung by Paul Robeson at the sing song
Reprised by Paul Robeson at the end
• "Stepping Stones"
Music by Eric Ansell
Lyrics by Henrik Ege
Sung by Paul Robeson in a montage
• "Song of Freedom"
Music by Eric Ansell
Lyrics by Henrik Ege
Sung a cappella by Paul Robeson at the opera
Reprised by Paul Robeson on the island
• "Death Scene"
(uncredited)
from the opera "The Emperor Jones"
Music by Louis Gruenberg
Libretto by Kathleen de Jaffa from the play by Eugene O'Neill
Sung by Paul Robeson
• "God Save the King"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Heard after the performance of 'The Black Emperor' as John Zinga returns to his dressing room
This has well lead to the racial discrimination category. “Because of racial discrimination, blacks were unable to enter the housing market on the same terms as other groups before them. Thus, the most striking feather of blacks’ life was not slum conditions, but the barriers that middle-class blacks encountered trying to escape the ghetto.” As we can see normal blacks are having difficulties in ‘trying to escape the ghetto’ due to the ‘racial discrimination’. The movie reflects that only in some of the racial free areas, such as music or arts, can a black earn his or her status and real value. Still the plot is thought to be a little unrealistic for blacks to make such a big success in the year 1836, it can be told that how tough the barrier was lies in front of the blacks.
Still the film called for many documentary scenes of West African traditional dances and ceremonies, as well as its special culture feathers. One of them is the superstitions in drugs. Scholar has already found out that ’In Africa the Witch Doctor holds sways. He drives a lucrative business. Armed with his staff of office, consisting of gaudy paint and a magic rattle, he impresses his people as the savior and benefactor of the afflicted.’ ‘The staff and the rattle are used to detect the evil spirit, the supposed cause of the malady.’ ‘His dress is adorned with charms, such as bits of wood, bones, shells, bird and animal claws.’ These details are vividly presented in the film, showing the director and his staff deep understands of African culture and the effort they did to restore the original feather of this mysterious civilization.
Surely, the movie that talks about the struggles of Africans is related to those that depict struggles of African Americans, yet it is also important to note that there are lots of different. In this British film the ‘Song of Freedom’, John the main character always longs for going back to his homeland, Africa. But for most of the African Americans, they considered themselves already an American, who differs from his or her old ancestor from Africa. Their major concerns were on how to fight for their place and gain the usual right as the whites, or join the big American society without being rejected, rather than thinking of going back to their home land to help the people there and improve the native Africans’ lives.
However, we cannot neglect an important topic contain in this film----the women’s right and status. In the movie, women’s are not encouraged to work as the men do in industrial, modern city such as London. We can see John’s wife mainly concentrates on housework and supporting her husband in different aspects----she herself does not have a job. Even in the primitive society like the natives in island of Casanga, women are not allow to join the rituals and have little rights. Women’s status is staying in a minority situation until the 1970s when women actively joining the labor force. That’s approximately 40 years after the film was produced. Before that ‘They (black women) suffered not only from racial discrimination in housing and employment but also from sex discrimination. They were susceptible to domestic violence, vulnerable to health problems at young age, and usually the primary caregivers for children.’ From the film, thought not mainly emphasized, we can clearly see how pathetic lives were the women, especially African American Women. Then we shouldn’t be surprised at how fiercely African American women fight for their rights and the frequently the movements for women rights are held afterward.
“Advertised as a "$500,000 epic" (a not inconsiderable sum for a British film in the mid-1930s), Song of Freedom did quite well at the box-office -- except, of course, in the white-bread American South.”
Audiences are thinking the film too idealistic but still appreciate the vocal component of the film.
“This was a fairly good film dating back to 1936 from Hammer Productions in Britain. Starring Paul Robeson, whose extraordinary vocal talents are properly utilized. Overall, the film is good, if not a bit too idealistic. But it doesn't harm the film's integrity and Robeson's great talent as both an actor and singer. Seeing how this film is not known well, I would recommend it. It's not a very long picture; it runs just under and hour and twenty minutes. So take some the time, and find this movie. If not for the film, then do it for Robeson's vocal talents.”
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028282/
http://www.verycd.com/topics/2863010/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028282/soundtrack
http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/32225
1936 in film
The year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
film starring Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson was an American concert singer , recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar who was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the twentieth century...
.
One of two elements pivotal to the plot is an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
named Gabriel Donizetti, presumably suggested by the historical opera composer Gaetano Donizetti
Gaetano Donizetti
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer from Bergamo, Lombardy. His best-known works are the operas L'elisir d'amore , Lucia di Lammermoor , and Don Pasquale , all in Italian, and the French operas La favorite and La fille du régiment...
. The other is a medallion that serves to identify Robeson's character as a descendant of an Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n monarch.
Song of Freedom may best represent the opportunity Robeson was looking for to "give a true picture of many aspects of the life of the coloured man in the West. Hitherto on the screen, he has been characterized or presented only as a comedy character. This film shows him as a real man." Robeson was also given final cut approval on the film, an unprecedented option at the time for an actor of any race.
As in Sanders of the River, the film called for documentary scenes of West African traditional dances and ceremonies, but this time Robeson obtained a contract giving him final cut, so that the film’s message would not be changed behind the doors of the editing room.
Robeson plays Zinga, a black dockworker in England with a great baritone singing voice. He is discovered by an opera impresario, and is catapulted into great fame as an international opera star. Yet he feels alienated from his African past, and out of place in England. By chance, he is informed that an ancestral medallion that he wears is proof of his lineage to African kings, and he leaves fame and fortune to take his rightful place of royalty. Reunited with his people, he plans to improve their lives by combining the best of western technology with the best of traditional African ways.
Although the film was not a box office success in the US, it was notably chosen in 1950 to open the convention of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
’s People’s Party. The ceremonies were presided over by the future first prime minister of independent Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
, Robeson’s friend from his London years.
Plot
What is first shown in audience’s eyes is an African tribe, with typical setting of spares men patrolling near rugged hills and numerous domes made by hay on grassland. There comes a bare-chested man, as strong as a calf, looking around cautiously. The story takes place in the island of Casanga, off the west coast in the year 1700 ad. The island had not yet attracted the attention of the slave traders on the mainland but its people suffered as fierce oppression under their hereditary queen zinga- tyrant despot mistress of cruelty.Then the brutal queen come, with leopard skin dress and a hay hat on, and a shell necklace with a medallion, a symbol of kingship. Laughing vigorously, she is teasing a man tied on a wooden column, who is supposed to be the king of Casanga. She took off the necklace and put it on the poor man’s neck, teasing him even more as a ‘one second king’ and trying to kill him right away. Suddenly, a girl, feeling frustrated by the cruelty of the execution, rushed in the queen’s and gapped the medallion. Being astonished, the queen ordered her army to catch the fleeing girl to snatch the medallion back. However, with the help of the strong boy mentioned at the beginning, they are able to escape the arrest of the soldiers and got on a raft to row to the mainland. There they turn to a slave owner for help. With pleasure the slave owner accept them and put them on chain. Then, along with all the other blacks the white slave owner captured the couple, is filled with anxiety and fear, is sent to England by boat to begin their new, but not sure whether better or not, live.
Time flows past as many historic events happened, such as the abolishment of the slave trade in 1807 in England. But not until 1833 did the slaves themselves are free from the oppressing situation and the social status for blacks start to improve. Chains and handcuffs are destroyed, ropes and whips are burned, and a seemingly brand new story begins. John Zinga, a black dockworker in England with a great baritone singing voice. His singing impressed all his colleges on the wharf. Children in his apartment fell asleep soundly when he sings, but he himself doesn’t realized what he can make use of his gifted voice. In fact, what keeps hovering in his mind is the eagerness to find out his origin and the help he can provide for his people, although he doesn’t know who he is originated. He always considers out of place in London and is often blamed by his wife ‘not satisfied’, but never did he change his mind. Finally, one day a famous opera impresario hear him singing and try his best to find him out. And in a pub, while John is being invited by the owner to sing the song ‘lonely road’, Gabriel Donizetti, the famous impresario, comes quietly in from the door and sit in the raveling audience, watching, listening, enjoying the beautiful song. ‘No more docker, but a great career’ Gabriel promises John, who is shocked and surprised since he think he can achieve his dream of travelling back to Africa by this chance. They shake hand with each other and Gabriel left a card for John to come to his hotel room the next day.
John can’t wait to go. The next day he dressed in suit---apparently his first time since he both walk and act in a lame and inappropriate way. John’s wife is also with him to deal with the hotel managers. In the end they found the way to Gabriel’s room and Gabriel starts a serious of test and introduces several skills to help John improve his singing. At first John reluctant to accept those instructions, like ‘breathing from stomach’ and ‘sounding from breast’, claiming that ‘he knows how to sing’. And he rejects to sing in suit since he doesn’t feel ‘free’. His voice significantly lack the emotion compare to that when he sing freely with friends and in pub about his homeland Africa. But after his wife’s comforting, mainly focus on the chance of travelling back to Africa, he is persuaded to follow those doctrinaire rules and techniques.
After hundreds of thousands of work and practices, he became an international opera star succeed in all kind of concert and dramas. This brings him wealth and fame that he has never dreamt of. Yet he feels alienated from his African past, always being sarcastic to his slave-born identity as his being referred as the Negro King. One day after a great performance, John is instructed to give a speech about what he feels about his success. Not good at speech, he sings an old song derived from his long lost childhood memory that he barely remember and has to put some words in it. In the song, he himself is regarded as a ‘wanderer’ and ‘hears the cold fell by his people’. John has a feeling that by singing the song he may find out some information about his origin, which means much to him. The result didn’t fail him. The song is moving and revokes one of the audience’s memories about the song. He then came to the dressing room at the back of the stage and talk to John about what he knows. John then finds out that his ancestor belongs to the island of Casanga, located on the west coast of Africa. The audience, Pele, was the only white escapes from the island since the island was dominate once by a brutal queen, now by a wicked witch doctor. And the song John sang was the secret song passes on by every king, regarded as the Song of Freedom of their people. Pele also told John about the medallion hanging on John’s neck, which he get from his father and his father gets from his great-grand father, is the symbol of the kingship-----he, John Zinga, is the king of his people. Hearing that his people are still uncivilized on the island, John’s mind of going back to his homeland and help his people became even more determined. At this time Gabriel happens to come in and tell John about a good news----a new contract to work in the great city New York. John refused to go to New York to carry on his singing career since he considers his people bigger than his success. Gabriel is mad about John leaving his career, but cannot stop him from crossing the ocean to come to the little island in Africa.
What happens to John when he arrive the island? He, his wife and a servant was not trusted by the aboriginals. Even they are in the same skin color and John has the medallion which proves him the kings, John and his fellows are still considered out-comers, strangers or even bad guys coming from the whites’ country. That’s far from John’s expectation, which let John down for a time. His servant wants to resign and tell him to give up, even himself thinks the place is too primitive and his people are too hard to change. But his wife stands on his side and encouraged him ‘the worse things are, the more you can change.’ Soon he cheers up and waits for his chance in a shabby dome. And it comes. John found out that the witch doctor lock the patient up instead of treating them for the lack of medicine. The witch doctor also announced that when a person gets sick---no matter a fever or cancer-----he’s dead rather than ill. To deal with this inhuman act, John gives the patient Penicillin and tries to heal them. Some of the people start to believe John. They talk to John “I’m your man, but you can be no king.” But this doesn’t last long when the witch doctor began to form various rituals to cast the ‘disaster’ the out comers brought to the island. What’s worse is that the people’s trust on John diminish since the patient he tried to cure all die. To break the superstition John interrupted the rites, attempting to show that no taboos are going to active on him, but was scolded by the crowds. Therefore the witch doctor come up with a task of bring the rain. He claimed that by rituals he can always bring rains to the island, then the gods and ghosts will satisfied and cast no disaster and diseases to the men and women; yet John point out frankly that the cause of disease is the bacteria and germs in the river and he cannot bring rains but he can help saving the rain. And he begins to illustrate the amazing life brought by technology improvement from the other side of the ocean. With the assist of his followers, more and more and people in the clan believe him.
The witch doctor is so pissed that he jump up and down to try scare people from getting in touch with John. While they are debating, John’s wife ran out and shouted to the witch doctor to support her husband. But that violate the taboo of not letting women to join the ritual and the witch doctor is perfectly justified to put John’s wife in the basement. John, who tried to protect his wife, is also tied up by the army. They are going to execute both of them the next day. And by the moonlight, John’s wife sang miserably to John to show her dismay. John’s followers bring John his gun but John refuse to accept. He determines to not to use force to hurt his people but convinced them in other way.
Next day the ritual is being held. The witch doctor performed different kinds of tricks, such as fire swallowing to intimidate his people, so that John’s followers are afraid to rescue them. Both of John and his wife is tide on a wooden pole, waiting to be killed, just as hundreds of years ago, the evil in charge of the island and win against the justice. Then the drums for the execution starts…and the rhythm starts to sound increasingly familiar with John…It’s the Song of the freedom, the secret song pass on by the each kings of the island. He can’t help but starts singing the Song of Freedom. He sang so well that the crowds turn astonishment to appreciation and admiration. He’s the king!! Someone from the crowd shout out and all people eventually believe he is the king and willing to listen to him. John wins against the witch doctor at last and achieves his dream. He goes back to America and frequently brings back medicine and technology of all kind, helping his people to be civilized and educated.
At the end of movie, John picks up his career as a singer again and perform the song he sang long time ago, ‘lonely road’ in a stage decorate as his little island, referring to his achieving of dream and the help he brought to his people, leading them to a better life.
Cast
Paul Robeson ... John 'Johnny' Zinga, a black dockworker in England with a great baritone singing voice.Elisabeth Welch ... Ruth Zinga , John’s wife who always encouraged John when his down
Esme Percy ... Gabriel Donozetti, a an influential impresario who discover John as a singer, suggested by the historical opera composer Gaetano Donizetti
Robert Adams ... Monty
James Solomon ... Native Leader
Ecce Homo Toto ... Mandingo
Ronald Simpson ... Mr. Blane, the Pianist
George Mozart ... Bert Puddick
Jenny Dean ... Marian
Joan Fred Emney ... Nell Puddick
Bernard Ansell ... Sir James Pyrie
Johnnie Schofield
Ambrose Manning ... Trader
Arthur Elliott (as Hon. Arthur Eliot)
Cornelia Smith ... Queen Zinga) , a brutal queen rules over the island long time ago
Related Music
• "Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho"(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung a cappella by Paul Robeson
• "Sleepy River"
Music by Eric Ansell
Lyrics by Henrik Ege
Sung by Paul Robeson
Reprised by Elisabeth Welch on the island
• "Lonely Road"
Music by Eric Ansell
Lyrics by Henrik Ege
Sung by Paul Robeson at the sing song
Reprised by Paul Robeson at the end
• "Stepping Stones"
Music by Eric Ansell
Lyrics by Henrik Ege
Sung by Paul Robeson in a montage
• "Song of Freedom"
Music by Eric Ansell
Lyrics by Henrik Ege
Sung a cappella by Paul Robeson at the opera
Reprised by Paul Robeson on the island
• "Death Scene"
(uncredited)
from the opera "The Emperor Jones"
Music by Louis Gruenberg
Libretto by Kathleen de Jaffa from the play by Eugene O'Neill
Sung by Paul Robeson
• "God Save the King"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Heard after the performance of 'The Black Emperor' as John Zinga returns to his dressing room
Topic Development
The movie implies several serious topics. The first one would be the new life slave is longing to. Slave trade was abolished in England in 1807 and USA in 1808. However, “when the overseas slave trade was finally abolished, they (slaves) were confused. Not only did slavery remains, it grew from around 700,000 in 1790 to over 3.5 million in 1860. The number of slaves increased through natural birth and the continued illegal slave trade.” Those who get rid of their ‘Slave identity’ are not leading a good life either. Like the film Song of Freedom, where John was barely a dockworker before he was eventually discovered as a great singer. Blacks are not given chances and treated unequally in the white dominated world. Still the brand of ‘Slave’ is craved on them as well as their dark skin and other feathers, and that’s why, thought he can make his living in London, John keep stating that he is ‘out of place’ in England, and leads him finally back to his homeland Africa. That happens to the entire dark skin race around the world, especially on those who descendents directly from the slaves.This has well lead to the racial discrimination category. “Because of racial discrimination, blacks were unable to enter the housing market on the same terms as other groups before them. Thus, the most striking feather of blacks’ life was not slum conditions, but the barriers that middle-class blacks encountered trying to escape the ghetto.” As we can see normal blacks are having difficulties in ‘trying to escape the ghetto’ due to the ‘racial discrimination’. The movie reflects that only in some of the racial free areas, such as music or arts, can a black earn his or her status and real value. Still the plot is thought to be a little unrealistic for blacks to make such a big success in the year 1836, it can be told that how tough the barrier was lies in front of the blacks.
Still the film called for many documentary scenes of West African traditional dances and ceremonies, as well as its special culture feathers. One of them is the superstitions in drugs. Scholar has already found out that ’In Africa the Witch Doctor holds sways. He drives a lucrative business. Armed with his staff of office, consisting of gaudy paint and a magic rattle, he impresses his people as the savior and benefactor of the afflicted.’ ‘The staff and the rattle are used to detect the evil spirit, the supposed cause of the malady.’ ‘His dress is adorned with charms, such as bits of wood, bones, shells, bird and animal claws.’ These details are vividly presented in the film, showing the director and his staff deep understands of African culture and the effort they did to restore the original feather of this mysterious civilization.
Surely, the movie that talks about the struggles of Africans is related to those that depict struggles of African Americans, yet it is also important to note that there are lots of different. In this British film the ‘Song of Freedom’, John the main character always longs for going back to his homeland, Africa. But for most of the African Americans, they considered themselves already an American, who differs from his or her old ancestor from Africa. Their major concerns were on how to fight for their place and gain the usual right as the whites, or join the big American society without being rejected, rather than thinking of going back to their home land to help the people there and improve the native Africans’ lives.
However, we cannot neglect an important topic contain in this film----the women’s right and status. In the movie, women’s are not encouraged to work as the men do in industrial, modern city such as London. We can see John’s wife mainly concentrates on housework and supporting her husband in different aspects----she herself does not have a job. Even in the primitive society like the natives in island of Casanga, women are not allow to join the rituals and have little rights. Women’s status is staying in a minority situation until the 1970s when women actively joining the labor force. That’s approximately 40 years after the film was produced. Before that ‘They (black women) suffered not only from racial discrimination in housing and employment but also from sex discrimination. They were susceptible to domestic violence, vulnerable to health problems at young age, and usually the primary caregivers for children.’ From the film, thought not mainly emphasized, we can clearly see how pathetic lives were the women, especially African American Women. Then we shouldn’t be surprised at how fiercely African American women fight for their rights and the frequently the movements for women rights are held afterward.
Critical
The film is thought to be a story about the rise of the slaves, the dream achieving of the blacks, the wish of the African people around the world to “free their own people of their superstitions and bring the advantages of civilization to the region”. But the most remarkable part of the movie was always considered as the incredible ‘vocal talents’. It’s his amazing voice and those spectacular music pieces that bring the film to a masterpiece. The film is still a blockbuster thought in didn’t do very well in boxing in US due to the different attitude held by the South and the North part of America.“Advertised as a "$500,000 epic" (a not inconsiderable sum for a British film in the mid-1930s), Song of Freedom did quite well at the box-office -- except, of course, in the white-bread American South.”
Audiences are thinking the film too idealistic but still appreciate the vocal component of the film.
“This was a fairly good film dating back to 1936 from Hammer Productions in Britain. Starring Paul Robeson, whose extraordinary vocal talents are properly utilized. Overall, the film is good, if not a bit too idealistic. But it doesn't harm the film's integrity and Robeson's great talent as both an actor and singer. Seeing how this film is not known well, I would recommend it. It's not a very long picture; it runs just under and hour and twenty minutes. So take some the time, and find this movie. If not for the film, then do it for Robeson's vocal talents.”
External links
Resourceshttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028282/
http://www.verycd.com/topics/2863010/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028282/soundtrack
http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/32225