Sangre Negra
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''Native Son'', also known as ''Sangre negra'' (in
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
: "Black Blood"), is a 1951 Argentine
melodrama film In film studies and criticism, melodrama may variously refer to a genre, mode, style or sensibility characterized by its emphasis on intense and exaggerated emotions and heightened dramatic situations. There is no fixed definition of the term an ...
directed by French filmmaker
Pierre Chenal Pierre Chenal (; 5 December 1904 – 23 December 1990) was a French director and screenwriter who flourished in the 1930s. He was married to Czech-born French film actress Florence Marly from 1937 to 1955. Work Chenal was best known for film noi ...
during the classical era of Argentine cinema. It is based on the novel ''
Native Son Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...
'' by American author Richard Wright, who also stars in the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Chenal. Actor
Canada Lee Leonard Lionel Cornelius Canegata (March 3, 1907 – May 9, 1952), known professionally as Canada Lee, was an American professional boxer and actor who pioneered roles for African Americans. After careers as a jockey, boxer and musician, he beca ...
, who was originally scheduled to play the film's protagonist
Bigger Thomas Bigger Thomas is a fictional character in the novel '' Native Son'' (1940) by American author Richard Wright. In the original 1951 film, Bigger is played by Wright himself, while he is portrayed by Victor Love and Ashton Sanders in the 1986 ...
, had difficulties with his
visa Visa most commonly refers to: * Travel visa, a document that allows entry to a foreign country * Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Vi ...
while filming ''
Cry, the Beloved Country ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' is a 1948 novel by South African writer Alan Paton. Set in the prelude to apartheid in South Africa, it follows a black village priest and a white farmer who must deal with news of a murder. American publisher B ...
'' (1951) in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
and had to decline the role; with the whole production in jeopardy due to the mishap, Wright decided to step in and replace Lee. Due to its controversial plot, the film received severe editing in the United States, which removed about 30 minutes. A restored cut premiered on
Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...
on February 20, 2021, for the film's 60th anniversary. ''Native Son'' was later remade in two adaptations: one in
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
and another in
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
.


Plot summary

A young black man, Bigger Thomas, is hired as a chauffeur for a progressive, affluent white family living in Chicago in the early 1940s. That evening, he drives their teenage daughter Mary into town to meet left-wing sympathizers. Their attempts to befriend Bigger are baffling to him because no white person has ever been kind to him and reflect how oblivious they are to the reactions of the black man. Mary gets so drunk with her boyfriend, Jan, that she passes out. Bigger takes Mary home and carries her to bed. Mary makes advances to Bigger so he kisses her. Mrs. Dalton, who is blind, suddenly opens Mary's door. Bigger panics and covers her mouth with a pillow. Mary cannot breathe, and he accidentally smothers her to death. Mrs. Dalton merely thinks that Mary has passed out from being drunk and leaves the room. Bigger moves the body and puts her in the basement furnace, trying to cover up what happened. A group of reporters, relegated to the furnace room of the house, notice fragments of bone and an earring in the ashes, prompting Bigger to flee in terror. He joins his girlfriend Bessie, a nightclub singer, in an abandoned building, but when she goes to a drug store for liquor and a sweater for him, Bigger thinks she has conspired with
stool pigeon An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a "snitch", "rat", "canary", "stool pigeon", "stoolie", "tout" or "grass", among other terms) is a person who provides privileged information, or (usually damaging) information inten ...
Snippy to put the police onto him, and he murders her, throwing her body into an elevator shaft. He flees the building, but the police give chase, turning a hose on him and forcing his surrender. He is defended by a leftist lawyer with support from Jan, who worked with Mary toward racial equality. Max, the lawyer, fails to overcome the racism of the judge and jury and Bigger is sentenced to death. When Max tearfully says goodbye to Bigger for the last time, Bigger asks him to "say hello to Mr... to Jan". Bigger had found two white people capable of kindness to him; all the others put him to death.


Cast

* Richard Wright ...
Bigger Thomas Bigger Thomas is a fictional character in the novel '' Native Son'' (1940) by American author Richard Wright. In the original 1951 film, Bigger is played by Wright himself, while he is portrayed by Victor Love and Ashton Sanders in the 1986 ...
* Willa Pearl Curtis ... Mrs. Hannah Thomas * Gloria Madison ... Bessie Mears * Lidia Alves ... Vera Thomas * Leslie Straugh ... Buddy Thomas * Nicholas Joy ... Henry Dalton * Ruth Robert ... Helen Dalton *
Jean Wallace Jean Wallace (born Jean Walasek or Wallasek; October 12, 1923 – February 14, 1990) was an American television and film actress. Early life Wallace was born in Chicago, Illinois to John T. Walaszek and Mary A. Walaszek (''née'' Sharkey). ...
... Mary Dalton * Charles Cane ... Detective Britten * George D. Green ... Panama *
George Rigaud Pedro Jorge Rigato Delissetche,George Rigaud
Cinenacional.com better known by his stage names George Rigaud, G ...
... Farley, a reporter * Charles Simmonds ... Ernie


Film noir style

Principles of the film had a close relationship to
film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
. Richard Wright was a particular fan of film noir, and director Chenal was a pioneer in the style. He was the first to make a film treatment of the novel '' The Postman Always Rings Twice'', and there are many parallels between ''Native Son'' and that film noir classic. Regarding the movie's status as a film noir, writers have noted its similarities to this style, stating it has "noir touches" and "the unmistakable feel of noir", and that it "does justice to the noir style." Other writers have gone further, stating it is "good noir" or "darkly satiric noir", and "genuine noir." One writer expounded "indeed it is ilm noir... Not only in terms of the visual style but in terms of moral ambiguity."


Production


Casting

While Bigger is 20 years old in the novel, he is about 25 in this version. Americans were the primary actors while
Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...
s and Argentines of African descent had smaller roles.


Development

The history of this movie started with the
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
version of Richard Wright's novel ''Native Son'', produced by
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...
. Welles worked with playwright Paul Green and Richard Wright himself on the adaptation.
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
offered Wright $25,000 for the film rights to the novel, but they insisted the movie be cast with white actors exclusively. The independent producer
Harold Hecht Harold Adolphe Hecht (June 1, 1907 – May 26, 1985) was an American film producer, dance director and talent agent. He was also, though less noted for, a literary agent, a theatrical producer, a theatre director and a Broadway actor. He was ...
proposed to make the film, but wanted Bigger to be a white man of an oppressed ethnic background rather than a black man. Wright declined both. Wright ultimately agreed to a proposal by French director Pierre Chenal to film his version. Chenal's film was greatly influenced by Welles' version and took it as its starting point. France and Italy were approached for location, but both countries refused to grant the requisite permits; they were recipients of US economic aid from the
Marshall Plan The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred $13.3 billion (equivalent to $ in ) in economic recovery pr ...
and were afraid of repercussions if they hosted such an incendiary film. Wright and Chanal then turned to
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, where Chanal had already shot several pictures after fleeing from the Nazis in France. Funding for the film came from Argentina's government, which had raised the money by taxing the
box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicket. ...
receipts of Hollywood movies shown there. Shechtman wrote that the process of making Buenos Aires look like Chicago occurred "without too much difficulty". The slums there substituted easily for the slums of Chicago, and Wright was meticulous about recreating Chicago visually, insisting that
storefront A storefront or shopfront is the facade or entryway of a retail store located on the ground floor or street level of a commercial building, typically including one or more display windows. A storefront functions to attract visual attention to a b ...
s and brand names recreated on set be authentic. Wright played Bigger because his first choice,
Canada Lee Leonard Lionel Cornelius Canegata (March 3, 1907 – May 9, 1952), known professionally as Canada Lee, was an American professional boxer and actor who pioneered roles for African Americans. After careers as a jockey, boxer and musician, he beca ...
, who had portrayed the character in the Broadway play, was not able to do so. Many other actors would not consider the role because they were fearful of repercussions; Wright was blacklisted in Hollywood at the time for membership in the communist party. The role of Mary required the white actress to touch a black man, so multiple actresses were unwilling to take the role. Hollywood actress
Jean Wallace Jean Wallace (born Jean Walasek or Wallasek; October 12, 1923 – February 14, 1990) was an American television and film actress. Early life Wallace was born in Chicago, Illinois to John T. Walaszek and Mary A. Walaszek (''née'' Sharkey). ...
accepted the female lead, possibly because her career had stalled due to personal problems. American studios refused to release the film, but independent distributor
Classic Pictures A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
picked it up after extensive editing. About 30 minutes of film had been excised as per the direction of the
New York Board of Censors New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...
.


Release and later restoration

Despite a heavy editing, multiple U.S. states made it illegal to show the new cut of the film. The
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
undertook a restoration, with consultation by Edgardo Krebs of the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
. In 2012, an in-progress version of the restoration aired at the
New York Film Festival The New York Film Festival (NYFF) is a film festival held every fall in New York City, presented by Film at Lincoln Center. Founded in 1963 by Richard Roud and Amos Vogel with the support of Lincoln Center president William Schuman, NYFF i ...
. The fully restored uncut film, stitched together from a complete
16MM 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 mm and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, ...
Argentine print and an incomplete
35MM 35 mm may refer to: Film * 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film * 35 mm movie film, a type of motion picture film stock * 35MM, a "musical exhibition" by Ryan Scott Oliver that features music ...
print in the
Archivo General de Puerto Rico The Archivo General de Puerto Rico (General Archives of Puerto Rico), established in 1955, is an archive documenting the history and culture of Puerto Rico. The governmental Institute of Puerto Rican Culture began overseeing its operation in 19 ...
intended for non-United States markets, premiered in the United States at the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
in 2016.


Reception

Shechtman wrote that, in regards to the initial U.S. distribution, "Reviewers and theatre owners were encouraged to receive it as tawdry entertainment, and most did." Chenal stated "We presented a perfectly massacred version of the film and they have the right to review it." A review in an African American newspaper described the edited film as being similar to ''
The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'' is a 1915 American Silent film, silent Epic film, epic Drama (film and television), drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and ...
''; the review stated that the film was "leaving the audience with no choice but to condemn" Bigger due to omission of key characteristics. The 1951 review in ''The New York Times'' described the film as "a sincere but strangely unconvincing film". The reviewer added "The stature of ''Native Son'' has been reduced with this exposure of film". That same review described many of the actors as also being "amateurish".
Media studies Media studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Media studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but it mos ...
professor Thy Phu stated that the film was "a commercial and critical disaster". Film historian
Aljean Harmetz Aljean Meltsir Harmetz (born December 30, 1929) is an American journalist and film historian. She was the Hollywood correspondent for ''The New York Times'' from 1978 to 1990. Her film books include '' The Making of The Wizard of Oz'' (1977), a d ...
wrote in ''The New York Times'' that the 1951 film was "criticized as amateurish and melodramatic". Film journalist
Anna Shechtman Anna Shechtman (born 1990/1991) is an American journalist and crossword constructor. Shechtman is the film editor for the ''Los Angeles Review of Books'' and constructs crossword puzzles for ''The New Yorker'' and ''The New York Times''. Early ...
wrote in ''The New Yorker'' that the "amateurism" in the portrayal of Bigger by Wright "almost works" due to the "slow and stilted" voice "as though he's speaking to people in a language they don't know—which, partly, he was." Film critic
J. Hoberman James Lewis Hoberman (born March 14, 1949) is an American film critic, journalist, author and academic. He began working at ''The Village Voice'' in the 1970s, became a full-time staff writer in 1983, and was the newspaper's senior film critic f ...
in ''The New York Times'' argued that the attempt to age Bigger in the film does not help the portrayal and that "Although Wright's delivery is forceful and his looks camera-friendly, he can't avoid seeming inauthentic in a T-shirt and baseball cap, playing a man half his age." Regarding the restored version, Chris Vogner of the ''Houston Chronicle'' stated "Even if it's not a great film, the "Native Son" is of historical and cultural significance". Julia Wright, the daughter of Richard Wright, stated that both she and her father did not like the 1951 film in regards to its quality as a film; in regards to the former she cited how there was relatively little content about Bigger's criminal trial. Julia Wright argued the film was a valuable as a "wonderful document of Richard Wright on live film."


See also

* Richard Wright's screen test for the film


References