Nightjohn

Nightjohn (Carl Lumbly--M.A.N.T.I.S.)gives up his hard won freedom to return to slavery for the sake of teaching letters to other slaves of the south. It costs him dearly, as it did in real tales of the ante-bellum south. A young slave girl, Sarny (Allison Jones), knows the value of education and learns her letters and numbers from John, a child, and her own hard struggles in self-teaching. It works but also eventually costs Sarny something, but she, like Nightjohn, has something no bad plantation owner can take away or sell. Letters! I can't speak for the book by Gary Paulsen, or accuracy of adaptation, but this is a FANTASTIC DVD that if family friendly and should be shown to students to encourage them in their pursuit of knowledge to their highest potential. Older people, like me, can simple enjoy the heart-warming story. There are a very few violent situations, treatment of slaves, that is primarily indicated and leading to, but not shown on screen. It has no bonuses, not even subtitles for the 'southern English' accents. This film was created in connection to Disney and Hallmark so that almost guarantees a worthy 5-star production. It comes across as very realistic, quite believable, and a solid gold message not often found in southern plantation period films. It's all about freedom, education, and goodness in people. A sixth star should be awarded for the VERY REASONABLE PRICE.

African-American auteur Charles Burnett is best known for neorealist dramas like _A Killer of Sheep_, but his first foray into television is widely regarded as his masterpiece. The New Yorker's Terrence Rafferty proclaimed _Nightjohn_ the "best American movie of 1996." I agree. The plot concerns Sarny, a twelve-year-old slave girl who learns to read, and uses her knowledge to expose and undermine the plantation power structure. Performances are excellent -- newcomer Allison Jones is especially good as Sarny -- and Burnett's direction is honest and forthright. Although _Nightjohn_ has a strong pro-education message, it is conveyed with plenty of suspenseful drama and a bare minimum of preachiness. Family filmmaking doesn't get better than this. The _Nightjohn_ DVD, like the laserdisc edition before it, presents the film in its original full-frame ratio without supplements or bonuses. The transfer and sound are adequate -- and given the price, that's about as much as anyone can reasonably expect. Note to parents: For a film that features no profanity, no sex or nudity, and only a few instances of onscreen violence, the PG-13 rating on this DVD seems excessive. _Nightjohn_ is not for young children, because it strongly suggests the horror and brutality of American slavery. But I'd recommend this film for ages 9 and up, with parental supervision. (Be prepared for a long, thoughtful discussion afterwards.)

I think, not having read the book, which this is truly a wonderful production. I also understand that the book must be quite different so if you have read the book please expect some difference as it is quite normally the case that when you read a book - the following movie does not meet expectations. I make this comment based on a reviewer that doesn't not like the movie, but basing feeling on the book - which may be fair, or unfair. So, to reiterate as a viewer with no expectations based on the movie - brilliantly stunning and educational. My 8 year old watched this and also could feel lessons being unraveled. She liked the power of literacy and brought select sections to her class to share at school. I would not just show this to young kids without viewing it and considering the kids, the ecology of such a decision would simply be wrong - but if you feel fit - a child can get a lot out of this movie. Well done !

I gave this movie five stars because it shows the power of the human spirit to transcend any obstacle or adversity. Recently my organization showed this movie to a group of African American high school students as one of the events during our Celebration of Reading. The students were totally engrossed in watching the movie. During the discussion following the showing the students talked stated how the movie made them more aware of the strength and courage of enslaved people, and their struggle to fight for their freedom. The movie, according to one young person, was well-made and the characters very believable. I believe this is a wonderful movie for young people, especially African Americans, as a great history lesson. I would recommend this movie to teachers who are looking for ways to teach about slavery and the struggle for freedom. The

I love the characters. They chose the right people to play those characters show you how far we've come. I've ordered three of these movies. Excellent acting

As a supplement to reading this easy book, my students enjoyed making note of the similarities and differences between the novel and the movie. Overall though, it is an appropriate movie to use to explore slavery in the United States

The story line was very good and the actors. This movie show us a part of how it was back them.

I teach high school Language Arts and use this movie in my American Literature class in connection with an excerpt from Frederick Douglass's autobiography, My Bondage and My Freedom. I ask my students to compare and contrast the two in terms of how important the ability to read and write were to slaves in the pre-Civil War South: how both learned to read, the punishments involved if caught, the benefits of learning, and the long-term effects. Not only does the movie, "Nightjohn" work well for this assignment, but there is something endearing about Sarny, the young slave girl, and my students are also impressed with the courage of John, the slave who gained his freedom but chose to return to teach other slaves to read. I highly recommend this movie which is based on the book, "Nightjohn," by Gary Paulsen.

A story that touches your heart, and gives you insight into the courage the slaves had, in spite of the cruelty and limitations imposed on them for reasons that should NEVER have existed! Good for the whole family. This story leads to good discussion.

We enjoyed this movie. Having read & seen much more about slavery, this story was realistic without being overly graphic. A very good movie.

This is a wonderful movie because it teaches us how not to repeat mistakes of the past & how important is the gift of words & how being able to read can open so many doors & in this case freedom, excellent movie for young people.

It took a while to watch this after the purchase. When I finally got round to it I can't say I found anything particularly special about it but was good enough to kill the time.

Great movie and condition.