The oldest son of a loving and strong family of black sharecroppers comes of age in the Depression-era South after his father is imprisoned for stealing food.
Acting
Cicely Tyson's face does more than most scripts.
Score
Taj Mahal's blues guitar haunts every frame.
Director
Martin Ritt
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Taj Mahal had never acted before; Martin Ritt cast him after hearing his music at a party.
The first Best Picture nominee centered on Black characters since The Defiant Ones (1958)—and Tyson and Winfield were both nominated, a feat Hollywood wouldn't repeat for decades.
US
