Intruder in the Dust

Intruder in the Dust (1949)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Interesting film set in the deep South about an elderly black man (Juano Hernandez) accused of shooting a white man in the back. The black man claims he's innocent but won't tell anyone what really happened even when a white mob starts to gather outside the jail to hang him. I was expecting this film to turn into some courtroom drama about how racism is wrong but it never does that nor does it ever preach. The film simply tells its complicated story and lets the viewer see what's going on and draw the injustice as it plays in front of them. This film really took me off guard as it centers on a lawyer (David Brian) and his nephew (Claude Jarman, Jr.) who are trying to figure out the truth. The boy owes the black man a debt and decides to try and get him cleared of the murder charges in order to pay him back. This subplot adds a lot of interest to the film and it also adds some rather brutal moments about race and how it is looked at. The "n" word is thrown around quite often and the film doesn't shy away from the racist undertones and even the lawyer has some racial issues throughout the film. The performances are all very good with Hernandez stealing the film. It's pretty rare to see a black actor get to display so much respect and dignity in such an early film and Hernandez pulls this off wonderfully.