The Blood Of Jesus 1941 35mm

The famous 1941 Dallas-made "race" film by Spencer Williams. This screening made possible by the SMU Film Archive, G. William Jones Film and Video Collection. All SMU students and faculty get in free. Texas Theatre Members get in free. The film concerns the shooting of a woman and the faith that brings her back. As she lies dying, her soul goes on a symbolic journey in which it rejects Hell for Zion, Satan for God, at the foot of the cross. When she awakens recovered, the choir of sisters and brothers from the church come in to sing and celebrate the miracle. The film offers a glimpse into Southern Baptist life from an African-American perspective. Directed by Spencer Williams; 68 min “A masterpiece of folk cinema that has scarcely lost its power to astonish." - The Village Voice . About “Race movies" : This is a film genre that existed in the United States between about 1915 and 1950. The films were produced for an all-black audience and feature all-black casts. Of the approximately 500 race films produced, fewer than 100 remain. Their history parallels the history of segregation in the United States. In 1983, 15 of these rare films, produced between 1935 and 1956, were recovered from a Tyler, Texas. They were brought to SMU, where they were preserved and digitized. In 1991, The Blood of Jesus became the first race film to be added to the U.S. National Film Registry