Nothing But a Man (1964) was co-written and directed by Michael Roemer. It's one of the defining films about race relations in the South as the civil rights movement was in high gear, bringing about the end of centuries of abuse by Whites of African-Americans.
This movie takes place in a very rural region in the deep South. Although people--both Black and White--are aware of the civil rights movement, it really hasn't taken hold here. For example, the schools are still segregated. The Superintendent of Schools (White, naturally), is pleased to announce that they're going to build a new school. It will surely be a great improvement over the old school, but it will still be segregated--for Blacks only.
Ivan Dixon plays Duff Anderson, an intelligent, capable, and hard-working railroad worker. These railroad jobs were considered very desirable, because the workers were unionized, the pay was good, and White people basically left the workers alone. Of course, the work was physically demanding, but conditions were not brutal. The drawback was that the workers moved from site to site. It was virtually impossible to have a wife and family. You grew old with an ever-shifting group of friends, moving from town to town and from bar to bar in the evenings.
Duff meets Josie, played wonderfully by Abbey Lincoln. She's a college graduate, a teacher, and the minister's daughter. Normally, Josie would be out of Duff's league as a potential spouse. However, there aren't too many men who are in Josie's league, and she herself, recognizes something special in Duff. He's intelligent, strong, and honestly loves her.
The problem--in this context--is that Duff isn't willing to compromise. He will maintain his dignity despite the wall of segregation that surrounds him. He won't back off from a fight. His attitude--admirable to us, but not to the people around him--causes him to lose his job, and eventually to be blacklisted. His lack of work leads to anger and aggression, directed as much to Josie as to the people who are causing the basic problem.
This isn't always an easy movie to watch, but it's well-crafted and important for everyone to see. We saw the film at the Dryden Theatre in Rochester as part of the wonderful Labor Film Series. It was shown in a new, pristine 35mm print, which was a treat. However, it's a powerful and important movie, and it's worth seeing in any format that's available. Find it and see it.
This movie takes place in a very rural region in the deep South. Although people--both Black and White--are aware of the civil rights movement, it really hasn't taken hold here. For example, the schools are still segregated. The Superintendent of Schools (White, naturally), is pleased to announce that they're going to build a new school. It will surely be a great improvement over the old school, but it will still be segregated--for Blacks only.
Ivan Dixon plays Duff Anderson, an intelligent, capable, and hard-working railroad worker. These railroad jobs were considered very desirable, because the workers were unionized, the pay was good, and White people basically left the workers alone. Of course, the work was physically demanding, but conditions were not brutal. The drawback was that the workers moved from site to site. It was virtually impossible to have a wife and family. You grew old with an ever-shifting group of friends, moving from town to town and from bar to bar in the evenings.
Duff meets Josie, played wonderfully by Abbey Lincoln. She's a college graduate, a teacher, and the minister's daughter. Normally, Josie would be out of Duff's league as a potential spouse. However, there aren't too many men who are in Josie's league, and she herself, recognizes something special in Duff. He's intelligent, strong, and honestly loves her.
The problem--in this context--is that Duff isn't willing to compromise. He will maintain his dignity despite the wall of segregation that surrounds him. He won't back off from a fight. His attitude--admirable to us, but not to the people around him--causes him to lose his job, and eventually to be blacklisted. His lack of work leads to anger and aggression, directed as much to Josie as to the people who are causing the basic problem.
This isn't always an easy movie to watch, but it's well-crafted and important for everyone to see. We saw the film at the Dryden Theatre in Rochester as part of the wonderful Labor Film Series. It was shown in a new, pristine 35mm print, which was a treat. However, it's a powerful and important movie, and it's worth seeing in any format that's available. Find it and see it.