Blood of Jesus Reviews

In the 1940s, Spencer Williams emerged as a major figure in African-American independent filmmaking. His first feature, The Blood of Jesus, is plagued by poor acting, simplistic writing, and extremely low production values that make the film look unsophisticated at best and amateurish at worst. Nevertheless, the seeds are also there for a quality film. Williams makes effective use of music, from the hymns that are present throughout much of the film to the jazz that takes over during the temptation scenes, and his handling of the jarring scene where Ras shoots Martha demonstrates his directorial skills. Finally, there is the extended sequence of Martha's odyssey through the afterlife as she is led by Satan's agents, Judas and Rufus, first to a nightclub then to a roadhouse. Williams often lingers in these places for no reason except, presumably, to soak up the scenery, indulging in some visual sinfulness under the guise of condemning this world of temptation. As much as the film has a moralistic and prudish tone, Williams' preoccupation with showing how good of a time the people are having in the nightclub and roadhouse provides an intriguing distraction; on the one hand, it serves to make the audience understand why Martha is so tempted by that world, but on the other hand, it provides Williams with the opportunity to add some welcome spice to the picture. The crime is that despite the mediocre material offered here, there is ample proof that had Williams been given access to the studio resources that plenty of lesser-talented white directors were, he would surely have left a greater mark on American film. The historical significance of The Blood of Jesus was finally recognized in 1991 when the Library of Congress placed it on its National Film Registry of American movie landmarks.