Watch Sanders of the River For Free

How sad is this?

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Tells the story of an outsider(Paul Robeson, as Bosambo) who migrated into central Nigeria(then part of British West Africa), along the Niger River, and soon became a chief of the Ochuri people(sounds very unlikely). He is tall and robust: a good warrior when he has to be, but prefers to promote peace among and between the various tribes of the region, against raids for slaves and wives. Hence, Bosambo has become a favorite of the district commissioner: Sanders. He hopes to make him chief of all the tribes along this stretch of the river, as a first step toward detribalization of the region.Opposing this plan is King Mofolaba, who wants to continue raids for slaves and more wives. He is especially angry at Bosambo for making him give up the people in his last raid. Among these people was Bosambo's future wife: Lilongo(Nina Mae McKinney). In the temporary absence of Sanders from the region, Mofolaba wants to capture and kill Bosambo, using his captured wife as bait. His wife is captured, and Bosambo decides to treck alone to Mofolaba's village to negotiate the release of his wife, a very dangerous move. He is also captured and tied to a stake, ready to be killed. But, Sanders has returned, and is commanding a gunboat, making the difficult journey up the rivet to Mofolaba's village. He arrives just in time to free Bosambo and his wife, spraying machine gun bullets toward the village(although,I didn't see any warriors fall, just runaway!). After Mofolaba is dispatched, at a gathering of all the chiefs in the region, Sanders asks them to accept Bosambo as their higher chief. I should mention that 2 white men were smuggling rifles and liquor to the natives. They spread the rumor that Sanders had died, thus inducing Mofolaba to resume his slave raiding. But, when he found out this wasn't true, Mofolaba had these 2 killed. It was interesting seeing the native people being themselves, including their ritual singing and dancing. Robeson sang several warrior songs: "The Song of the Spear", and "The Lion Song". Nina Mae McKinney sang the lullaby "My Little Black Dove" to her infant child. Paul Robeson was very appropriate to play Bosambo. He was born in America, but came to spend much time in Britain and Europe, away from the racial prejudice of America. He was a superb athlete, and genius: learning many languages and was valedictorian of his Rutgers class. He was an accomplished singer and actor, having sung "Ole Man River" in the 1936 film version of "Showboat". Later, he became involved in civil rights, and flirted with Communism. After finishing the present film, he was sorry he had participated in it, feeling that it rationalized colonialism more than bringing the native African to the attention of American audiences. Nina Mae McKinney, who played Bosambo's wife, was also born in the US and also spent much time in Europe, getting away from the prejudice in America, and especially Hollywood. She was regarded as quite beautiful, and talented in acting and singing. Her beauty was actually a handicap for Hollywood roles, at this time.

Sanders is a British officer who has picked up the white man's burden and made Nigeria a better place for the Africans who populate it. We know they are happy, because they are always singing. The British do not sing, however, because running an empire is serious business. There seems to be a cult of personality, however, since the place falls apart as soon as Sanders goes on vacation. As word spreads that he is dead, we see animals running about, so apparently even they are upset. War breaks out, and Sanders has to return. While he was gone, a couple of smugglers had been selling gin and rifles to the natives, which is against the law. But the rifles don't seem to do the natives any good, because they continue to use spears. As the boat Sanders is on races to save Bosambo, a good African chieftain who loves being ruled by Sanders and the British Empire, an officer commands an African worker who is operating the boiler to put more wood on the fire for more speed. The African replies that the boiler will blow. But the stiff upper lip of the British officer is not cowed by mere physics, and he contemptuously dismisses the warning. The boiler backs down and humbly submits to British authority, just like everything else.

The lines are often unintentionally funny ("My king -of England - is the greatest king on Earth!" "I'm sending you to Sandi" ) and the movie is Tarzanesque,with its evil chief rubbing his hands before killing a good guy .The natives are big irresponsible children who desperately need the help of the white men and above all Lord -Sandi-Sanders.When he's away (they say he's dead),there's no law anymore;but when he's back,so is the law.It speaks volumes about the paternalistic side of this obsolete work:English colonizers are here to bring justice,peace,love and understanding,their intentions are so pure their black protégés (the good ones that is) cannot make up their minds without Father Sandi's piece of advice.The good chief's songs are closer to Negro spirituals than to African folklore .And the lullaby his wife sings to her little black dove would fit nicely in a Disney cartoon,such as "the Lion King" .

Impossible to watch through 21st century eyes,"Sanders of the river" belongs to the "Saturday Morning Pictures" school of movies.I saw dozens like it in my local Odeon (Our Dominion Extends Over Nations) as a small boy.Wise white man benevolently ruling over spear waving savages,chattering monkeys,trumpeting elephants,and other denizens of the Dark Continent.Most of the savages had bones through their noses and danced round the cooking pot chanting gibberish.They were badly-made,with unsteady scenery,crackling soundtracks and startling inadvertent jump-cuts.Nobody you ever heard of was in them and we forgot about them as soon as we got out into the daylight. Unfortunately there were some well-known actors in "Sanders of the river" it was well made and very popular in its day.Now it seems slightly hilarious to give it the broadest possible benefit of the doubt. If you go to see it don't take Spike Lee.