Film
Native Son
Virtual
Dir. Pierre Chenal | 108min, 1951
With Richard Wright, Jean Wallace, Nicholas Joy
Richard Wright’s bombshell 1940 novel exposing the injustices of urban African-American life made it to the screen with this Argentine, English-language production. The author himself stars as Bigger Thomas, a Chicago youth driven to killing as a result of a lifetime of deprivation. Though it was heavily censored upon its initial release, a complete 16mm print of the original Argentinian release and an incomplete 35mm duplicate negative of the uncensored cut were combined for this new restoration, the most complete version of Native Son ever shown in the US. It stands as a vital cultural record: a rare black-centric noir with an intense, fascinating performance from Wright.
The screening is preceded by a special filmed introduction by film historians Eddie Muller and Jacqueline Najima Stewart, courtesy of Turner Classic Movies.
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Please note we are not able to offer member discounts on at-home film screenings at this time.
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