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22, August 3l, 1973, Reflector
'Sounder': OJ sharecroppers and the depression
By TIM JAMES
Reflector Staff Writer
"Sounder" is a refreshing break from
the recent flood of nauseous blackoriented films. Instead of starring the
super-hero crook and his gang of "stop at
nothing women," "Sounder" concerns a
black sharecropper family trying to
make it in Louisiana during the
depression.
Heading the cast is Cic.ely Tyson
(Rebecca), who has been hailed -as the
first black heroine of the screen. Her
husband is played by Paul Winfield
<Nathan Lee) and Kevin Hooks (David
Lee) is the oldest of their three children.
Making "Sounder" his movi~ debut,
Kevin became well known after his star
performance in the CBS tv special
"J. T.," _which concerned a ghetto youth
and his pet cat.
The movie opens with Nathan Lee,
( _____m
_o_ v_ie_ r_e_v_ie_w___)
David Lee, and their dog, whose name is
Sounder, coon hunting at night. Having
no luck, the two return home to a hungry
family without any food for supper. That
night, Rebecca wakes to find Nathan Lee
has left home sometime during the night.
The following morning, the children get
up to the smell of fresh sausage frying in
the skillet. It's now obvious to the viewer
that Nathan had stolen the meat in the
night to feed his family.
Returning home later that afternoon,
Nathan Lee, Rebecca, and children find
the sheriff and his deputies have entered
their house and found the remainder of
the stolen meat. Nathan is immediately
hand-cuffed, no questions asked, no
rights recited, and carried off in the
back of a pick-up truck with a shot gun
only a short distance from his head.
Eventually, a trial is set and Nathan
Lee is sentenced to one year of hard
labor. Rebecca and the children are now
faced with whether to let their small
farm go or strive to save it until Nathan
returns . They choose the latter and
somehow, make ends meet for the
following year.
Probably one of the most beautiful
and moving scenes ever captured on film
is when Nathan Lee returns home from
the labor camp. The facial expressions
and emotions rendered by Cicely Tyson
in this scene probably helped warrant her
nomination for Best Actress.
"Sounder," which originated as a
prize-winning novel, is probably the best
attempt ever made at portraying the
everyday life of Southern blacks in the
first half of this century. The overall
effect of the movie is very simple. It was
filmed on location in Louisiana and the
photography techniques are nothing out
of the ordinary.
The musical score for "Sounder" is
done by Taj Mahal and employs some
really good guitar picking . Taj Mahal
fills the roll of Ike, who's a good friend of
Rebecca and Nathan Lee. Several times
during the movie, he plays his guitar and
sings some down home blues boogy.
'Sounder': OJ sharecroppers and the depression
By TIM JAMES
Reflector Staff Writer
"Sounder" is a refreshing break from
the recent flood of nauseous blackoriented films. Instead of starring the
super-hero crook and his gang of "stop at
nothing women," "Sounder" concerns a
black sharecropper family trying to
make it in Louisiana during the
depression.
Heading the cast is Cic.ely Tyson
(Rebecca), who has been hailed -as the
first black heroine of the screen. Her
husband is played by Paul Winfield
<Nathan Lee) and Kevin Hooks (David
Lee) is the oldest of their three children.
Making "Sounder" his movi~ debut,
Kevin became well known after his star
performance in the CBS tv special
"J. T.," _which concerned a ghetto youth
and his pet cat.
The movie opens with Nathan Lee,
( _____m
_o_ v_ie_ r_e_v_ie_w___)
David Lee, and their dog, whose name is
Sounder, coon hunting at night. Having
no luck, the two return home to a hungry
family without any food for supper. That
night, Rebecca wakes to find Nathan Lee
has left home sometime during the night.
The following morning, the children get
up to the smell of fresh sausage frying in
the skillet. It's now obvious to the viewer
that Nathan had stolen the meat in the
night to feed his family.
Returning home later that afternoon,
Nathan Lee, Rebecca, and children find
the sheriff and his deputies have entered
their house and found the remainder of
the stolen meat. Nathan is immediately
hand-cuffed, no questions asked, no
rights recited, and carried off in the
back of a pick-up truck with a shot gun
only a short distance from his head.
Eventually, a trial is set and Nathan
Lee is sentenced to one year of hard
labor. Rebecca and the children are now
faced with whether to let their small
farm go or strive to save it until Nathan
returns . They choose the latter and
somehow, make ends meet for the
following year.
Probably one of the most beautiful
and moving scenes ever captured on film
is when Nathan Lee returns home from
the labor camp. The facial expressions
and emotions rendered by Cicely Tyson
in this scene probably helped warrant her
nomination for Best Actress.
"Sounder," which originated as a
prize-winning novel, is probably the best
attempt ever made at portraying the
everyday life of Southern blacks in the
first half of this century. The overall
effect of the movie is very simple. It was
filmed on location in Louisiana and the
photography techniques are nothing out
of the ordinary.
The musical score for "Sounder" is
done by Taj Mahal and employs some
really good guitar picking . Taj Mahal
fills the roll of Ike, who's a good friend of
Rebecca and Nathan Lee. Several times
during the movie, he plays his guitar and
sings some down home blues boogy.