This film is truly worthy of great praise! It is the first film in a very long time that I want to immediately watch again because it is a vast film encompassing a civilization, it's languages, it's peoples, it's dramas. It is about a particular civilization, but it examines all civilizations, all peoples, and all dramas during this heartrending look at this intriguing island culture and it's story of survival making us sensitive to the fates of all others. It is an enjambed film full of many stories reaching out to us and demanding our disciplined focus. Yellow Mary's story jumps out to us returning to the island to see her family's diaspora to the mainland completed and determined to continue her life of freedom after her visit. The matriarch's story(wonderfully acted)is fascinating holding on to the memories of slavery and of an African life before slavery. The story of Eli and Eula's marred marriage returns again and again as a motif. The movie assertion that a vital life will continue on the island even after most of the Bezant family have departed as a remaining native on horseback makes off with one of the matriarch's granddaughters near the end of the film. These are some of the obvious mysteries but many more are enmeshed and suggested throughout and you are drawn into this most lovable film from moment one. Be prepared to be overwhelmed and challenged like few films today are made. The music of this film is my favorite soundtrack from sixty years of movie enjoyment!
Review of Daughters of the Dust
Daughters of the Dust
(1991)
Enthralling! Haunting! Poetic! Encompassing! Compassionate! Grand!
24 October 2019