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Customer Reviews of Native Son

the book is better than the movie, but worth watching
When originally released in Europe as Sangre Negra in 1950, Native Son - the film - was a long time coming for Wright. The author had fought for the intergrity of his original novel enough to take up playing Bigger Thomas himself. When released for American audiences as much as 30 minutes of film was left on the editing room floor. It would be interesting to know what was left out, but one can make an educated guess.

For those of you who have read the novel this may not seem odd, but the main parts left out of the film have to do with misegenation (Bigger kissing Ms Dalton) and Communism (the word isn't even mentioned!!). What is left is a dry husk of novel, but it leaves one to wonder what American audiences (or rather the censors) were ready to show in American theatres.

Several liberties were taken by the director (and Wright?) that may also prove interesting for further conversation. Bessie, Bigger's one-dimensional love interest, is killed in the movie also, but it comes to the reader/viewer in a the form of a flashback in the prison scene (Fate).

Also, there is an interesting dream sequence where Bessie comes to Bigger like a Judas figure and Bigger runs through the cotton fields of his dream to his waiting father (Wassup with the cotton field, Rich!?). Its refreshing to see his father appear in the dream sequence considering that its NOT in the book and Wright's father had left him at an early age.

Wright may have been an excellent though 'confused' writer, but he is NO actor!! I just imagined Bigger to be a little more thuggish than Wright could pull-off. But he should get an E for Effort: Loosing 50 pounds to play the role, fighting to get the film made in Europe since he had Communism affiliations During the Macarthy trials, and just being an all around 'Daemonic Genius.'

I'd recommend the film for its extra-literary qualities. If your teaching the novel, give your self a 90-minute break!!

But the Book is Better than the Film!!!

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Amateurish, but of definite interest
Made on a shoestring in Europe, this filmization of Richard Wright's literary classic has little to recommend it in the way of production values, yet it is of definite interest due to the casting of Wright himself in the lead role of Bigger Thomas. Already middle-aged at the time, Wright is a good twenty years too old for the part and his skills as an actor fall dramatically short of his talents as a writer. Nonetheless, I can think of no other "serious" author who has appeared on-screen in a film version of one of his novels (Norman Mailer, of course, directed a movie based on his "Tough Guys Don't Dance"), and for that reason, this otherwise amateurish version of "Native Son" ranks as a curio. Admirers of the writer and his novel are not likely to be impressed by what they see here but, approached as a novelty, this film is worth a look.