MOVIE - NOTHING BUT A MAN

Nothing But a Man (1964)

THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST FILMS I EVER SAW AND IT IS SAD THAT SO FEW PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT. IVAN DIXON DIED RECENTLY AND I JUST FOUND OUT THAT SIDNEY TURNED DOWN THIS ROLE, FOR WHATEVER REASON AND IVAN GOT HIS CHANCE TO SHINE AND HE MADE THE MOST OF IT - IT IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME ROLE.

AS MY BROTHER, WILLIAM, WOULD SAY, THIS PICTURE IS "TOO REAL."
I USED THE INFORMATION BELOW BECAUSE NOTHING I COULD WRITE WOULD BE
AN IMPROVEMENT.
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This is an excellent film, and I'm surprised it's not received more plaudits here. An exceptional movie, especially given the period in which it was made, about a young black man trying to "do the right thing" and make a life for himself in the South. Beautifully acted by everyone involved, Nothing But a Man lets you live the struggles that black men live(d) every day.

The struggle to find a job, keep a job, be a man, raise a family, all while under the white shadow of racial bigotry.
This is not a particularly uplifting film...you never get sense that everything will work out in the end, but because of this, the movie is all the more realistic. This is a CLASSIC, a true sleeper, that should be seen by everyone.

The DVD version includes interviews with the cast and film makers 40 years later. In her interview, Abbey Lincoln seems to come undone while reflecting on the movie, the Struggle, and how little real progress has been made.