Projecting Blackness

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This chapter discusses approaches to the co-construction of religion and race in Hollywood films focusing on the case of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's 1929 film Hallelujah. Directed by King Vidor, the film extended popular culture and literary traditions of naturalizing and sanctioning American racial hierarchies through the presentation of an aesthetic of primitive black religion. The chapter examines the production history and reception of the film with attention to discourses about race, religion, and representation, as well as about the relationship between African-American religious practices and civil rights more broadly.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationRace, Nation, and Religion in the Americas
PublisherOxford University Press
ISBN (Print)019514919X, 9780195149180
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2005
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Arts and Humanities

Keywords

  • African American religion
  • Blackness
  • Hallelujah
  • Hollywood film
  • King Vidor
  • Popular culture
  • Race
  • Religion
  • Representation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Projecting Blackness'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this