Paul Robeson would have been a great cornerstone in a movie adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's play, but this is a pathetic version of the play. Almost all of the substance has been taken out to make it more palatable for it's audience. The change that sticks out the most in my mind is the deletion of almost all the instances of the word ni**er. It is used in the play as a distinction that Brutus Jones, an African American, uses to describe those beneath him. There is only one usage of it in the movie, no doubt to shock. A lot of the impact of Jones' hypocrisy is lost without the word and the racial tension that it brings. The back story of Jones is inserted so, I imagine, that they could have Robeson sing and dance for us. It's a mild and somewhat offensive version of The Emperor Jones.
Review of The Emperor Jones
