Nothing but a Man Reviews

A well-intentioned, independently made film describing the life of a black man in the 1960s South. Basically, all the title character (Dixon) wants to do is live simply. While working for the railroad in Alabama, he falls in love with Lincoln, the daughter of the minister (Greene). Greene does not like Dixon, so the couple goes to Birmingham to see Dixon's father, a dying alcoholic. Dixon also visits his illegitimate son, who has been abandoned by his mother and left in the care of a woman not related to him. Lincoln wants to marry, but Dixon does not want to assume the responsibility. The couple finally weds, and Dixon gets a job at the town sawmill. When he won't ingratiate himself to his racist white employers, he is fired and labeled a troublemaker. He then finds work at a gas station but is still harassed by the townspeople. After beating and berating his wife, out of frustration, he returns to Birmingham to watch his father die. Facing the situation is a step toward manhood, and he begins to come to terms with his responsibilities. He gets his son and goes back to Lincoln to try to live in peace and dignity. The film garnered a great deal of praise, at the time of its release, for its realistic recounting of the life of a black laborer in the South and for refusing to sentimentalize the subject matter.