Body and Soul

In Brief: In honor of Black History Month, the AFS presents a film from two icons of the Harlem Renaissance and early African-American cinema, Paul Robeson and Oscar Micheaux. Body and Soul (1925) was written, directed, produced and distributed by Micheaux and represents the screen debut of Robeson, who would go on to become a renowned political activist as well as one of the era's  preeminent stars of stage and screen. Micheaux, the most prolific filmmaker of the early "race film" period, started his own production company after attempts to adapt his first novel met resistance at mainstream studios, and would personally drive his films into markets throughout the country for exhibition. While his later sound work was criticized for questionable production values that resulted from budgetary constraints, Micheaux's three surviving silent films clearly demonstrate his technical proficiency. Although Body and Soul is an overblown melodrama typical of its time, Robeson's riveting performance and Micheaux's willingness to engage with salacious subject matter involving corrupt clergy and problematic racial dynamics make this historic film essential viewing.