CINEMA CYCLE
(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)
DATE REVIEWED: 03/27/2017
TITLE: The Emperor Jones
FORMAT: Laserdisc
TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 15 minutes
DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 18 miles
TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6445.5 miles
SYNOPSIS: An enterprising black man in the 1930s hustles his way to power and wealth only to be tormented by all those he has wronged in the end.
CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: A morality play that shows the pitfalls of vice and corruption. Early serious black cinema with a message.
PROS AND CONS: The film is dated and shows it, but as an historical document it is a treasure trove of performances and culture that have been lost or forgotten in the modern cinema.
Robson commands the screen in this film, having performed the play for years prior to making the film.
By today’s standard the film is terribly politically incorrect, but not so much in its day. This was apartheid America and it shows in every scene. The film becomes long in the end with the extended dream sequences that come back to haunt the Emperor. In the end a great film that shows the pitfalls of not doing things the right way.
This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film.
This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle. A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.
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