Nothing But A Man 12

From the archive

This film was last shown on 5 October 2013

A landmark of American cinema, this uniquely truthful depiction of black life in early 1960s Alabama rightly won great acclaim at the Venice, London and New York film festivals. Though it then sank into relative obscurity, a recent restoration by the Library of Congress has again made its many virtues gloriously apparent.

When railroad labourer Duff (Ivan Dixon) meets teacher Josie (Abbey Lincoln), he decides it’s time to settle down to marriage and a factory job. Trouble is, he’s expected to tolerate white bosses who, wittingly or not, are unfailingly racist, and Duff has his pride. Moreover, the couple have to deal not only with the disapproval of Josie’s preacher father, but with Duff’s son by a previous relationship and his own alcoholic father… Small wonder this was reputedly Malcolm X’s favourite film; terrific performances by the mostly African American cast (Lincoln is especially memorable as the strong-willed Josie), eloquent camerawork by Roemer’s writing partner Robert M Young, and a matchless soundtrack of Motown tunes make for understated but powerful drama. Still more impressive, the film provides persuasive insights into how social conditions can influence not only relationships but notions of masculinity, responsibility and resistance, so that it still feels surprisingly modern and all too relevant. - Geoff Andrew, BFI

Followed by panel discussion - speakers to include:

Donald Mclean, Vice Principal, Longley Sixth Form College

Dr Carol Tomlin, Warwick and Oxford University tbc

Max Farrar, Emeritus Professor

Malcolm Cumberbatch

Jenson Grant, Destination Arts

Janine Bradbury

Raphael Richards