This 19 minute film was produced for the Criterion Collection's release of a DVD set of the films of Paul Robeson. This short consists of the recollections of Ruby Dee, James Early Jones and the filmmaker William Greaves. Like another short included with this set ("Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist"), this short was way too short--as Paul Robeson was a VERY complex man and any discussion of his personal life, movie and stage career, political life and impact on Black-America would take at least 2 or 3 hours. However, as this specific film consists of recollections of his career and impact on the civil rights movement and it was made well after Robeson's death, perhaps it was just too difficult to find living people who could contribute to the film. So, had the film been made in the 1970s, it would have been a lot easier to make "Our Paul".
Well worth seeing--but awfully, awfully short. And, to me the most telling part of the film was when James Earl Jones talked about how much newspapers lauded him upon his death--and how sad it was that they had been so silent on the man up until then. In other words, it did come a bit late!
Well worth seeing--but awfully, awfully short. And, to me the most telling part of the film was when James Earl Jones talked about how much newspapers lauded him upon his death--and how sad it was that they had been so silent on the man up until then. In other words, it did come a bit late!
