Press Release Criterion Press Release: Nothing But A Man (1964) (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Michael Roemer’s groundbreaking first feature, sensitively shot by his close collaborator Robert M. Young, is a still-resonant expression of humanity in the face of virulent prejudice. Made at the height of the civil rights movement, Nothing but a Man reveals the toll of systemic racism through its honest portrait of a southern Black railroad worker (Ivan Dixon) confronting the daily challenges of discrimination and economic precarity, as he attempts to settle down with his new wife (jazz great Abbey Lincoln) and track down his father (Julius Harris). Admired by Malcolm X and now recognized as a landmark of American cinema, this tender film grounds its social critique in characters of unforgettable complexity and truth.

FILM INFO​

• United States
• 1964
• 91 minutes
• Black & White
• 1.37:1
• English
• Spine #1209
  
  

  DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES​

  • New, restored 4K digital master, approved by director Michael Roemer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • An Introduction to Michael Roemer, a new interview program featuring Roemer
  • Conversation from 2004 between Roemer and coproducer and cinematographer Robert M. Young
  • Program featuring archival interviews with actors Ivan Dixon, Abbey Lincoln, and Julius Harris
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Gene Seymour
    
    New cover by Katya Mezhibovskaya
    
    February 20, 2024

 

[Ronald Epstein]

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[bujaki]

A landmark film. And still so relevant.

 

[titch]

Wow - and director Michael Roemer still alive at 95! It was an amazing directorial debut and a great pity that he made so few films. There are some important films made about the American Civil Rights Movement, but very few were made right in the middle of it. A Raisin in the Sun (1961), To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) and In the Heat of the Night (1967) are the only other comparable ones I can recall offhand. An essential addition to the Criterion Collection.

 

[Martin_Teller]

There are some important films made about the American Civil Rights Movement, but very few were made right in the middle of it. A Raisin in the Sun (1961), To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) and In the Heat of the Night (1967) are the only other comparable ones I can recall offhand.

A Time for Burning (1967)

 

[obscurelabel]

I wonder why the movie is 1.37:1. It looks absolutely correct at that aspect ratio, but 1.85:1 was the non-anamorphic standard by 1964 in the U.S., with the occasional film in 1.75:1 or 1.66:1, but 1.37:1 wasn't common. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[PMF]

Nothing But a Man is a Day One Purchase.