The Green Pastures

1936

1h 33m

Comedy

Drama

List

78%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

86%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

A preacher in a small African-American church in Louisiana tells his Sunday school class stories from the Bible as if the characters were part of a local fish fry. He starts with the creation of the world by God, known as "De Lawd" (Rex Ingram), and tells how God went on to create heaven, which is just like their farmland, and then created man and woman, followed by their fall and finally the coming of Jesus Christ. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

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TIME Staff

TIME Magazine

[Rex Ingram] doubles ably as Adam and the Prophet Hezdrel.

Oct 18, 2019

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

The Green Pastures is a simple, enchanting, audience-captivating... cinematic fable.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Tom Milne

Time Out

Constructed as a series of Sunday School Bible stories linked by spirituals, it has enormous charm in its folklorish fancies... What is offensive is the way in which the depths of plangent suffering that inspired the spirituals are totally ignored.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Ruth A. Duckett

New York Age

Weren't the children of the Sunday school scene adorable? Weren't the Spirituals inspiring? And above all wasn't Rex Ingram -- divine?

Dec 10, 2020

Full Review

Ralph Matthews

Baltimore Afro-American

This is all a lot of tommyrot, as the only thing it is keeping with is the white man's idea and desire to see the poor black man in rags, squalor, and privation.

Jul 15, 2020

Full Review

Aurelio Pego

Cine-Mundial

It's not easy to make a "divine comedy"... This miracle occurs nonethless in The Green Pastures. [Full review in Spanish]

Oct 18, 2019

Full Review

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s r

Another lost flixster rating. A different take on traditional bible stories.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I love this movie, even with it's questionable stereotypical treatment of African Americans and loads of theological error glosses. It's a beautiful movie. Rex Ingram was amazing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

one of my favorite biblical movies of all time. I love this movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Maybe the best of what they used to call 'Race Films'. Hollywood movies by white people with all black casts for black audiences. Usually stories incorporating every unrealistic black stereotype they could think of because... well, that's what people really believed back. This film is better than 98% of the rest for several reasons. One: the direction is outstanding, Two:the script's actually very good, and very funny when looked at as satire, Three: the acting and the cast are amazing, it contains pretty much every A-list black star of the day. You get the feeling watching the movie that the cast got the underlying satire and really played it up. They all seem like they're have great time making it. Check it out, but be prepared for jaw-dropping stereotype portrails.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Terrific all black fantasy film. Eddie Anderson, Rex Ingram and the rest of the cast are terrific. Unique and a very intriguing piece of history. Always interesting.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

great move. Loved it

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

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William Keighley

Director

Rex Ingram

Adam

Oscar Polk

Gabriel

Eddie "Rochester" Anderson

Noah

Frank H. Wilson

Moses

George H. Reed

Mr. Deshee

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Synopsis

A preacher in a small African-American church in Louisiana tells his Sunday school class stories from the Bible as if the characters were part of a local fish fry. He starts with the creation of the world by God, known as "De Lawd" (Rex Ingram), and tells how God went on to create heaven, which is just like their farmland, and then created man and woman, followed by their fall and finally the coming of Jesus Christ. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Director: William Keighley
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 3, 2012
Runtime: 1h 33m

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