Black History Month: Sounder (1972)
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 7:01PM 
Andrew here, to continue The Film Experience’s celebration of Black History Month through the lens of the Oscars. Next up comes 1972's Sounder. It did not win any Oscars, and yet it is groundbreaking, of its own accord, and as an Oscar vehicle. The film, as well as its success at the time, is a miracle and one of the most impressive moments of Oscar’s celebration of black cinema.
Its greatest triumph in light of Oscar is the fact that it’s the first truly black film to be nominated for Best Picture. Sounder tells the story of a family of Black sharecroppers living in Louisiana during The Great Depression...
Times are hard and on an evening when spirits, and coffers, are especially low he steals some meat from some white land owners. And, although, that two-line synopsis might suggest an expected tale of an intrepid and indigent family dealing with the institutionalised racism of the era, Sounder (adapted from the superlative children’s novel of the same name). Except, unlike so many black films from then to now Sounder is less interested in examining the convergence of differing classes and is, instead, satisfied to focus with specificity on the quiet life of that black family.
Its nomination in the picture category may seem something of an afterthought in a year of The Godfather, Cabaret, Deliverance and The Emigrants. It’s the only of the picture nominees without a corresponding director nomination, adding to the semblance of its runner-up status. Add this to the fact that a plot description belies Sounder’s important adds to its forgotten status. But, to take a close look at Sounder and observe its deftness of focus, and surety of delivery only reveals it as worthy of its place among that impressive Best Picture line-up.
Sounder is a film above the love and tenacity of a family unit. This intent seems slight amidst the reaches of its best picture contemporaries until you stop to consider that simple act was an act of defiance for a film with a black cast in its time.
David Graham DuBois (former Black Panther spokesperson and professor of Afro-American studies and journalism at the University of Massachusetts) deftly sums up the import of Sounder by highlighting the cinematic landscape it emerges from.
“The Cottons, the Shafts, the Melindas, the Superflys and the Trouble Men all perpetuate these lies [that pain and suffering for blacks is borne lightly and that joy is derived from forever merry-making in wasteful sloveness]. This is why they are pushed before the movie-going audience. And this is why they "succeed." Overlayed with a thick coat- ing of carnal lust, violence, flashy clothes, expensive cars and unbelievable exploits-not reserved for black films- the deeper message of these films is insidious: black people are somehow less than human, i.e. their love is purely animal; their courage is a simple animal reflex against the threat of physical harm; their determination is operative only for the achieving of transient and meaningless goals. Family life does not exist for black people according to these films. The life of the streets, night clubs, poolhalls and sordid women is the source of our greatest joy. Our pain and suffering is a self-inflicted root.”
I’m not quite as dismissive of the Shafts and Trouble Men as DuBois but the consequence of a film like Sounder and its observations on black lives cannot be understated. More significantly was the response to it. Made for under a million dollars the film earned more than sixteen times its budget at the box-office becoming one of the 15 highest grossing films of the year. That was 1972 that Hollywood and producers should have realised that good films on black lives could make money, and yet, it seems it’s something that so few studios seem to acknowledge.
Sounder’s simplicity of spirit is its own badge of courage. The legend of the black film, especially in the face of injustices meted out to its characters, is one where audiences have come to expect a call to revolution to accompany each injustice. Sounder’s revolutionary act is having young David Lee become literate, taught by a kindly African American teacher. For the modern audience Sounder’s quietude may seem tame and yet that’s the beauty of it. What is beautiful about Sounder is the very fact that its blackness is not its most distinguishing feature. Not because the blackness of its story is shrouded, but because in developing a specific family’s tale of hardship Sounder is disinterested in selling an image of a specific “type” of blackness and becomes that much more successful at achieving universality for the very way its characters feel pain, hurt and joy like any human.
The third act return of the family’s patriarch is a mostly wordless sequence playing out against the family’s field that sees the Oscar nominated pair of Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield asked to do nothing but showcase their love for each other. It’s a sequence that becomes affecting just because of the brilliance of those two actors and Martin Ritt’s uncomplicated but effective direction. Tyson and Winfield became the first pair of black actors to be nominated for Actor and Actress Oscars from the same film. Lonne Elder III became the first black writer nominated for an Oscar (that same year Suzanne de Passe was nominated for writing Lady Sings the Blues). Sounder also features music from blues musician Taj Mahal. Power to Martin Ritt (one of the era's forgotten, excellent directors) for his skilfull handling of the material. Whenever stories about the marginalised are told I think about the eterna question of who should be telling those stories. Might Sounder benefit from a black filmmaker at the helm? I don't know. Perhaps. And, then, perhaps not.
As it is, the issues with Sounder amount to minutiae. A larger glimpse into Tyson's Rebecca would have been lovely. And, the film is particularly guilty of not quite justifying its title the way the novel is. But, who cares? Is the fact that Sounder fated to a history as a nominee and not a winner indicative of a perverse blueprint of the Academy recognising black films for wins only on their own terms? I would not agree. The very state of awards means that only one can win. The significance of a nomination has become diluted over the years, but Sounder’s quartet of well deserved Oscar nominations fill me with joy.
A few months ago a friend pointed me towards this DVD box-set featuring timeless cassic films for the family, and I was ambivalent about the idea. As he rightly point out, if Sounder should be on a boxset it should be on one celebrating Cicely Tyson. But, then, what other way to introduce this fantastic but forgotten film to middle class viewers (who are not Oscar enthusiasts)? Any way that Sounder gets seen is great for me. 43 years after its debut it is still the paramount portrait of the life of a black family. That might be an indication of the great distance we are still to travel for black cinema, but then, Sounder is a high bar to scale.
Reader Comments (30)
I've been meaning to see this one for SO long. Really must find a way soon
I love this series.
There's a copy on Youtube with Spanish subtitles
I love this movie! It was really an unusual choice for the Academy to nominate, but it was so appropriate for the early '70s. The year of its nomination was also the only year that two black actresses – Tyson and Diana Ross (Lady Sings the Blues) have ever been nominated for Best Actress. (I would have given it to either of them over Liza, but we've been over that territory in other posts on this site.)
Paul, I agree. Tough decision - Ross or Tyson? Both deserving. The other 3 - not so much.
Maggie is way over the top. Liza is....well, Liza. And just try to find "The Emigrants" today. I finally got to see a dubbed version on a 30 year old VHS tape from a local library. Nice that Liv was FINALLY acknowledged, but somewhat ironically not for a Bergman film. And, frankly, I think it is one of her least memorable perfs.
I have to settle on a tie: Ross & Tyson. It's cheating, but Oscar did in in '68.
"Sounder" is an excellent film! See it immediately if you haven't yet. Paul Winfield and especially Cicely Tyson will break your heart in it. So glad Tyson is still with us and wowing new audiences with her immense talent..
"The Emigrants" is airing this month on TCM's 31 Days of Oscar. See it while you can, as this film is very rarely shown anywhere.
I'm excited since now I can judge this Best Actress race properly. As it stands now:
1. Cicely Tyson, "Sounder" (brilliant performance in a stellar career that's still going strong today)
2. Liza Minnelli, "Cabaret" (I'm good with Liza's win, but it feels more legacy/sweep than merit)
3. Maggie Smith, "Travels With My Aunt" (quirky film that I enjoyed; Dame Maggie is very memorable here)
4. Diana Ross, "Lady Sings the Blues" (I wasn't always convinced with Ross as Holiday; too famous? too pretty? I don't know; I really want to see what Audra McDonald did with this material on stage)
Knowing my tastes, I'm expecting Liv Ullmann to at least break my top 3.
It was rated G. Which was as much a marvel that a G rated movie was nominated for Best Picture as anything else and was actually a more popular talking point than the subject or race of the cast.
@Ian: Ross was definitely NOT Billie Holiday, a fact for which she has been perpetually criticized. But the performance (her first) was lightning-in-a-bottle great. If they had called the movie The Gardenia and changed all the names (as was done when Bette Midler played Janis), she might have even won.
Ross wasn't lightning in a bottle to me or anything near it. I found her to be miscast to be honest. To each his own.
I don't disagree with you about the miscasting, that's pretty clear from the first sentence I wrote.
This was the first time that I ever saw Miss Tyson who left an indelible impression which has never changed.
As for Miss Ross, I think it is true that her great talent never translated onto celluloid
1972 also had a few non-nominated performances from Tuesday Weld in "Play It as It Lays," and Joanne Woodward in "Effect of Gamma-Rays in man-in-the-moon Marigolds." that would have come close to a nod.
i can't believe people are denying LIZA the Cabaret win. that's easily one of my all time favorite wins.
I'd probably hesitate to call a movie from a white director a "truly" black film, but otherwise this has been a refreshing posting.
As much as I love Sounder, I'll always hate it for the category confusion it causes. Are Winfield and Tyson leading or supporting? Above all, Sounder is the coming-of-age story of the son, and movies about a family that are primarily told from the perspective of the child can cause category confusion (see also: How Green Was My Valley, The Yearling and Ordinary People). Sounder I think is the most frustrating example here and I always wish that the parents wouldn't be so well played, so that I could simply ignore them. But since it is like it is, one has to make a decision at this point and said decision can never be fully satisfying. For now I've moved Paul and Cicely back to lead which means that they very well might have the smallest/most sidelined roles I ever accept as lead. Wonderful performances though, regardless of whether one views them as leading or supporting.
Lord and master, here's a possibility to watch Sounder in a quick way:
http://stagevu.com/video/uiooflrivrjy
@Nathaniel: Cabaret is one of my favorite movies, and she's incredible in it, but you know I prefer her in New York, New York, where she does much more than be great at being Liza in the Weimar Republic.
Sad that Andrew's great and nuanced article about race and "Sounder" has devolved into a trite Best Actress discussion. But I'll play along anyways haha. Tyson should have been in supporting actress. Ross shouldn't have been nominated in the first place. Keep in Minnelli and Smith. Add in Woodward and Hawn. I haven't seen Ullmann yet, but I really would like to. In that new lineup, I guess Minnelli would have won there too. I wouldn't have been happy about it then either. My personal pick is Woodard.
I think i saw this when i was a really young kid cause i read the book in school. I believe it was a popular book to do for reports or it was required reading I don't remember. But I do remember my grandfather was in the room. I should revisit it.
I've been wanting to see this forever, so thank you Willy! I wanted to see both Cicely and Diana's performances. I was actually just watching Lady Sings the Blues last night...I didn't finish. Yet. I might. But it bored me to tears, and I thought Diana was pretty good but I don't know about Academy Award worthy. And I couldn't really respect the performance from the jump since I saw Diana Ross' segment on Inside the Actors Studio and she said some weird stuff about how someone was, like, showing her how to act off camera and she was watching them as she was performing for one or some of the scenes. Uh, okay... lol.
I love Cicely Tyson, though, so I'm sure she's incredible as always.
I can't begrudge Liza's win though. Cabaret was phenomenal and so was she. I can't really imagine anyone else being Sally Bowles even if her performance was a bit of a different take on the character.
When will we get two black actresses nominated in best actress again??? We can't even get one these days...
It just happened recently in supporting actress, with Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson. And there was a moment in 2013 where it was thought there would be three black actresses nominated (Oprah, Lupita, and Octavia) but Octavia fell off the map quickly and Oprah was surely sixth place. Black actresses even win fairly often in supporting actress (recently at least), but we can't even get black actresses nominated or let alone close to nominated in the leading category.
Tyson has been busy recently, both on stage and television. For something completely different (I would think), watch her play Viola Davis' mother on How to Get Away With Murder tomorrow night.
I'd probably hesitate to call a movie from a white director a "truly" black film
A black film is any film that focuses on a predominately black ensemble. Film remains relatively white due to the economics of film making and the politics of distribution. So the authenticity or blackness of a property is not determined by who financed, wrote, or directed it.
When will we get two black actresses nominated in best actress again?
Unlikely. The barrier for nonwhite female performers is absolutely hostile. What I do hope will happen soon is a second nonwhite female performer winning in Best Actress.
"A black film is any film that focuses on a predominately black ensemble."
Is Live And Let Die a black film?
I read "Sounder" (a Newbery Award winner) for a Battle of the Books competition in the fourth grade. It was so devastating that I have never been able to bring myself to watch the movie, even though I assume it's good.
Call it whatever you want, Liza's turn and win was brilliant and deserving. I think people who say it's Liza being Liza are looking at it from modern day perspective than 1972 context.
Definitely not, Santy C.
@Santy C. I agree. People forget that only three years earlier Ms. Liza May Minnelli had been Oscar nominated for The Sterile Cuckoo which could not be a more different performance. Caberet may be her image now, but it wasn't at that time.
I think this actually hurt her when New York New York came around. She cemented her current image with the Royal Command Performance and Liza with a Z and that's all anyone thought she could do. If NY, NY had been considered on its own merits without the baggage, I think her performance would be better recognized.
Is Live And Let Die a black film?
It is one of the more marginalized entries in the Bond franchise because of its black content.
After winning the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical in '65, Minnelli's first two film roles were conscious departures from the nightclub/musical theater image she was already famous for. Charlie Bubbles and Sterile Cuckoo were viewed as strictly "acting" performances (non-song-and-dance) and atypical for her. Cabaret and Liza with a Z (both '72) were considered return-to-form and very much "typically Liza" at the time, and she was rewarded for both.
"It is one of the more marginalized entries in the Bond franchise"
Now that's a hilarious thing to say about a gigantic box office success that managed the franchise's first Oscar nomination for song and is even today - along with The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only - often seen as one of the better entries in the somewhat divisive Moore canon.
The one who breaks my heart in the film is Kevin Hooks. No performance by a child actor has stayed with me the way his has. He should've been in the Supporting Actor category (but then, how could he, with the Godfather trio and Joel Grey in the running?).
As for that year's Best Actress: while I love her in Cabaret and she is the female lead, I've always felt Liza was more supporting. Diana Ross is in every frame of Lady Sings The Blues and commands your attention. When she sings "Good Morning Heartache" in close-up and goes on a hit fit attacking Billy Dee Williams ... awesomeness. Whatever tricks she used or guidance she had to make that performance pop worked. And it's very ironic and comical (not to mention rather telling) that the same people who dismiss her achievement will praise Bette Midler in The Rose (who also deserved to win).