Hallelujah (1929)

Originally posted to Facebook on 3/31/2019

Hallelujah was our sixth film from 1929, and our first true sound film after a couple of partial talkies. It was also the fourth film we've seen directed by King Vidor, and our second film with an African American cast, after 1926's The Flying Ace.

Interestingly the movie opens with the MGM lion silently roaring, even though we've heard it audibly roar for earlier Movietone silents. It is a musical -- our first, obviously -- and stars Daniel L. Haynes, a farm-worker who is pulled away from his presumably virtuous rural world by Nina Mae McKinney, whom he meets while in town to sell his family's harvest. It is difficult to assess a film like this, both because of its questionable approach to portraying African-American life, and because of its technical limitations. The former point is called out right away by a pre-title screen on the DVD, which assures us that the film does not reflect the current values of Warner Brothers -- in case anyone was wondering. And it is immediately clear why that insert was added; the main characters are all portrayed either two-dimensionally or with major pathologies, and almost always in stereotypical fashion. During this era in film history it was a remarkable and positive development to see black protagonists on the screen at all, particularly in a major studio film with a star director, but the particular reflection of life shown in this film turns it into a distinctly mixed blessing.

The performances are also uneven; Haynes acquits himself not too badly, but much of the other acting is either flat or stilted or over-the-top. McKinney is particularly bad, with weird and unconvincing line readings. I'm not sure if this is entirely her fault, given the lines she's reading, and the primitive state of the recording technology, and also the fact that her role is so thankless and arbitrary.

On a technical level, the audio is quite muddy -- not too surprising considering given its status as an early talkie, but certainly not the best state of affairs for a musical. The songs themselves are a mixed bag. "Waiting at the End of the Road" which Haynes sings as he arrives in town to sell crops is one of the high points, and there is also the beginning of what seems like an interesting montage of the song "Going Home" near the end, as Haynes is traveling back home to see his family -- a few shots of Haynes singing on the back of a wagon, on a train, and walking along the road -- but that ends nearly as soon as it starts. The film has a few other memorable sequences -- such as a scene of mounting intensity in which Haynes chases someone through the swamp, knee deep in water -- but there are just as many scenes that fall flat or come across as amateurish.

In short this is neither a good film, nor simply a bad one, nor a forgettable misfire; it is an interesting historical curiosity, still worth viewing, but not mainly for its entertainment value.

Next week we'll see our seventh film from 1929, The Wild Party -- our second sound film, and our second film starring Clara Bow. The link, as always, is here: https://bit.ly/2lZtfmT