GrigoryGirl Review of Native Son

Native Son (2019)

Terrible film, worst adaptation of this great novel...

[2/10 · 18 June 2023]

Out of all 3 film adaptations of Richard Wright's magnificent book, this is the worst of the 3. There never has been a definitive adaptation. The first one (which had Richard Wright, the author of the book, as Bigger Thomas) was flawed (low budget, some amateurish acting) but was at least interesting and followed the novel closely. The 1986 version, while sanitized to a large degree, was well produced and also followed the novel closely. This one is a complete bowdlerization of the novel. Not only do they relocate the story to Cleveland (the novel and first two films took place in Chicago, and that city is essential to the story), but they drastically change the ending, leaving Bigger Thomas's girlfriend Bessie alive (she gets killed in the novel and first two films), and having Bigger get killed at the end of the film by the police. The original novel (and the 2 previous films) both ended with Bigger on trial for murder, and with him sitting alone at the end awaiting his execution. Bigger is much more complex in the book and the 2 earlier films. This film feels like PC propaganda, and it's a shame that this great novel was hijacked for political purposes, but that is in fact what happened. A shame.