Body and Soul is currently streaming on The Criterion Channel and Tubi

Body and Soul (1925)93 minCrime, Drama, ThrillerRating 62/100

The great Paul Robeson – American stage star, activist, and later a key presence in British cinema – made his film debut in this landmark work by pioneering Black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. Body and Soul features an all-Black cast, with Robeson in a remarkable dual role: a ruthless escaped convict posing as a reverend to exploit his congregation, and the preacher’s upright long-lost twin brother.

Cast: Paul Robeson, Mercedes Gilbert, Julia Theresa Russell, Marshall Rogers, Lawrence Chenault, Chester A. Alexander, Walter Henry Cornick

Director: Oscar Micheaux