A Review of Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution
Could Not Be Televised)
by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Hulu and Theatrical
MPAA Rating, PG-13
USCCB Rating, Not rated at the time of this review
Reel Rating, Four Reels
The
story behind Summer of Soul is nearly as good as the film itself. In the
summer of 1969, music producer Hal Tulchin and promoter Tony Lawrence organized
the Harlem Cultural Festival, a month-long musical event that featured the best
and most diverse array of African American musical artists of the time including
Stevie Wonder, The 5th Dimension, The Temptations, and B.B. King. The
entire event was recorded on video tape, then in its infancy, in attempt to
bring the program to television. That production never materialized, and the
magnetic strip sat undisturbed in a basement for fifty years until it was miraculously
recovered by Amir “Questlove” Thompson, who gave it the mainstream documentary it
deserved. The result is a film of monumental historic importance and perhaps
the purest act of joy currently at the movies.
The
plot of the festival begins with vision of Tony Lawrence who wanted to create a
music festival in the heart of Harlem with two goals 1) celebrate the African
American experience through song and 2) bring Afro-centric styles of music to a
wider audience. He brought together styles from all walks of life including traditional
gospel, pop rock, Motown, Latin inspired, and everything in between. Spliced in
the with acts are reactions from the musicians themselves, now decades older,
who are seeing this footage for the first time. This is the Freshman debut of
director Questlove, leader of The Tonight Show’s house band The Roots. He
proceeds slowly and carefully, allowing the music to continue uninterrupted for
long stretches. At a recent press junket, he compared editing the film to his
early career as a DJ, taking small clips and putting them together to create a greater
narrative.
The
first section on the film focuses heavily on gospel music, and it is here that Soul
shines brightest. Gospel music has its roots in slavery when African captives
blended melodies from their mother country with hymns from their oppressors to
create a new sound. This style found hope in the Christian religion, and I was
often reminded of the faith of the Israelites in exile. These melodies used
Bible stories like Noah, Jesus, and especially Moses to identify their
experience with those of God’s heroes. It’s no surprise the many great leaders
of the Civil Rights Movement came from the ministry. God has always spoken from
the margins.
As
the film progresses, it becomes more political. Maliliha Jackson and robed
choirs give way to Sly Stone and Nina Simone. The tensions that would soon
bubble into riots are apparent. At first, Mayor John Lindsay enthusiastically
supported the festival and even appeared on the opening day. The NYPD provided
security, but the Black Panthers took over that job later in the month. These
acts featured a different aesthetic, sporting native African clothing and large
hairstyles that were not yet common in the community. There is little in the
way of explicit political commentary, but the turning tide of who would narrate
the black experience in American is front and center.
Historically,
the Harlem Cultural Festival has been compared with Woodstock, which occurred at
the same time and also featured a “cultural awakening” of sorts. Yet the
similarities are only periphery; to call this the “Black Woodstock” would be
simplistic at best and insulting at worst. While the musical acts are center
stage, there are interviews with attendees and sweeping shots of the audience.
No one is smoking, no one is drinking, no one is naked. There are children
dancing and grandparents clapping everywhere. Most are dressed in their Sunday
best. The festival began with a prayer, and no one objected. Even if one disagrees
with the politics of some of acts, the Harlem Cultural Festival was a deliberate
and intelligent feat of social expression, not just a chance to “tune out” from
the world.
The
title, though admittedly ungainly, presents a choice, both to the individual
and the black community at large. Everyone deserves liberation from oppression
and a chance at “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The first option
is soul. God is heard in the voices of these talented artists who demonstrated their
dignity through artistic excellence. This dignity calls for sacrificial redemption
in the pursuit of justice The second option is revolution, to force change
through violence and opposite oppression. This choice, now being fought
in schools and halls
of government, has been rehearsed again and again, and the results are
always the same. Evil destroys, and love conquers. That is always the final
note.
This article first appeared in Catholic World Report on July 2nd, 2021.
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