Nothing but a Man

Duff is a blue-collar worker on the train track. When he meets a young teacher, the daughter of a local reverend, he leaves the workers' camp to find employment that will allow him to build a future. But their relationship is challenged in the face of discrimination and familial baggage. Nothing but a Man, naturally written, directed, and acted, is a tremendous, captivating, and heartfelt drama. It's hard to think of many films centered around African-American heroes, certainly with this kind of intimacy, and even more so in the mid-1960s. The emotional sincerity and the direct observation of the unjust social structure are the buds on which Spike Lee and even The Wire will build upon. But even without these cultural references, this is an alluring film - the beautiful love that blossoms between the protagonists, their devotion to life, and their courage to do the right thing, create an emotionally and humanly satisfying experience, not to be missed. 

Preserved by Library of Congress, Packard Campus, Culpeper, Virginia