I was certainly pulling for this one, but it quickly became a chore to sit through, even at its 68 minute run time. Its heart is in the right place, and it provides a good role model in showing these African-American kids at school, just as squeaky clean as Beaver Cleaver, but it's very simple, and sickly, syrupy sweet. I confess I watched it out of loyalty to Dorothy Dandridge, but the real highlight was Harry Belafonte singing "Suzanne (Ev'ry Night When the Sun Goes Down)" simply beautifully. This was his first film, and it interesting that his second would also be with Dandridge, and in the decidedly more saucy film 'Carmen Jones'.
There are moments when 'Bright Road' asks some interesting questions (What color is God? If all men are brothers, why don't white people and black people behave that way towards one another?, etc), and I appreciated it showing how a troubled boy just needed some encouragement, but it's all done under wooden, sunny pretenses, and nothing about it seems authentic. The film has religious overtones as well, though it was interesting to see the kids recite the Pledge of Allegiance in 1953, because the words "Under God" would not be added to the Pledge until the following year. I wish I could give it a higher rating out of sympathy.
There are moments when 'Bright Road' asks some interesting questions (What color is God? If all men are brothers, why don't white people and black people behave that way towards one another?, etc), and I appreciated it showing how a troubled boy just needed some encouragement, but it's all done under wooden, sunny pretenses, and nothing about it seems authentic. The film has religious overtones as well, though it was interesting to see the kids recite the Pledge of Allegiance in 1953, because the words "Under God" would not be added to the Pledge until the following year. I wish I could give it a higher rating out of sympathy.