Native Son (1951)

Wissenswertes

• Basiert auf: Native Son

Native Son, also known as Sangre negra, is a 1951 Argentine melodrama film directed by French filmmaker Pierre Chenal during the classical era of Argentine cinema. It is based on the novel Native Son by American author Richard Wright, who also stars in the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Chenal. Actor Canada Lee, who was originally scheduled to play the film's protagonist Bigger Thomas, had difficulties with his visa while filming Cry, the Beloved Country (1951) in South Africa and had to decline the role; with the whole production in jeopardy due to the mishap, Wright decided to step in and replace Lee.

Production

While Bigger is 20 years old in the novel, he is about 25 in this version.

Americans were the primary actors while Latin Americans and Argentines of African descent had smaller roles.

The history of this movie started with the Broadway version of Richard Wright's novel Native Son, produced by Orson Welles. Welles worked with playwright Paul Green and Richard Wright himself on the adaptation. MGM offered Wright $25,000 for the film rights to the novel, but they insisted the movie be cast with white actors exclusively.

Wright ultimately agreed to a proposal by French director Pierre Chenal to film his version. Chenal's film was greatly influenced by Welles' version and took it as its starting point.

France and Italy were approached for location, but both countries refused to grant the requisite permits; they were recipients of US economic aid from the Marshall Plan and were afraid of repercussions if they hosted such an incendiary film. Wright and Chanal then turned to Argentina, where Chanal had already shot several pictures after fleeing from the Nazis in France.

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