Learning Tree, The (1969)

Learning Tree, The (1969)

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“You just hate us colored kids, don’t you?”

Synopsis:
A young man (Kyle Johnson) coming of age in a racist 1920s Kansas town witnesses a robbery leading to the death of a white man; will he tell what he saw?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming of Age
  • Historical Drama
  • Race Relations and Racism

Review:
Acclaimed photojournalist Gordon Parks became the first Black person to direct a major studio picture with this adaptation of his own semi-autobiographical novel about experiencing life, love, and racism in 1920s Kansas. The drama-filled storyline opens with a tornado, as Newt (Johnson) finds himself holed up in a shelter with the town prostitute (Carol Lamond):

… but emerges ready for church, where he meets a beautiful young teenager (Mira Waters) who has just moved to town with her family.

A gentle romance ensues, though it’s interrupted by racial- and gender-based violence (discreetly shown off-screen). Meanwhile, the crux of the narrative centers on Johnson’s friendship with other local boys — including the troubled son (Alex Clarke) of a local drunk (Richard Ward) — and their interactions with a white farmer (George Mitchell) whose apples they steal, as well as the town’s racist sheriff (Dana Elcar).

Johnson’s homelife with his mother (Estelle Evans):

… father (Felix Nelson), and sister provides him with plenty of solace in the midst of increasingly challenging situations, culminating in a dramatic court case.

Given this film’s historical precedence, it seems worth citing at length from TCM’s article:

Although he came to the project with a considerable reputation as an accomplished artist, Parks had to deal with the expected resistance to a black director helming a studio-financed film. One producer offered him major funding if he would change all the black characters to white, and another suggested silent film diva Gloria Swanson for the part of Newt’s mother. But Parks had a great ally in director-actor John Cassavetes, who introduced him to gutsy Warner Brothers producer Kenny Hyman. Not only did Hyman agree to let him direct, in quick succession Parks found himself assigned to writing the screenplay, producing the film and — after Hyman heard him play a song he had written on the piano — composing the score. Only a handful of filmmakers had been given such sweeping control; Chaplin and Welles are among the few that come to mind.

It’s too bad that the movie itself isn’t more compelling: the performances are stiff at best, and everything seems filmed with an eye towards dignity rather than raw emotion. To his credit, however, Parks doesn’t shy away from depicting racism in all its forms across this supposedly desegregated community, ranging from lowered expectations from Johnson’s teacher (Peggy Rea):

… to mob vitriol. This film is worth a look for its historical significance, but ultimately not must-see viewing.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Burnett Guffey’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended to watch once given its historical status as one of the first 25 films selected in 1989 by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.

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One thought on “Learning Tree, The (1969)”

  1. First viewing 9/25/22. A once-must, for its place in cinema history. As posted in ‘Film Junkie’ (fb):

    “Mama, can I ask you a question? … Is there a Heaven?”

    ‘The Learning Tree’ (1969): If for no other reason (though there are other reasons), ‘TLT’ is notable for being a successful piece of art created (more or less) by ‘a one-man band’. Director Gordon Parks based his film on his own 1963 semi-autobiographical novel. Along with directing his own adaptation, he produced the film and wrote its score.

    It was the first film directed by an African-American for a major American studio (Warner Bros.-Seven Arts).

    The major ‘icing’ element was provided by renowned DP Burnett Guffey – who had just won an Oscar for ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ (his second award after his win for ‘From Here to Eternity’). ‘TLT’ is beautifully shot.

    But, of course, the main attraction is the film itself. Set in the 1920s in Kansas, this is a coming-of-age story – which usually means, by default, that a film will be episodic, without a real plot. In Parks’ hands, however, ‘TLT’ feels like a finely woven narrative with a beginning, middle and end. It is the story of a specific time and place and the people in that place.

    Its focus is on Newton Winger – a young man who ‘belongs’ to a group of blacks referred to as ‘Exodusters’ The film doesn’t explain the group but Wikipedia does – so here is the background:

    [In 1879, many African Americans migrated to Kansas. Among those were the ancestors of Gordon Parks. His father, Andrew Jackson Parks, was a tenant farmer in Kansas. Given that Gordon Parks was born in Fort Scott, Kansas in 1912, he was the “issue of the second generation of exodusters”.

    The Exodusters earned their name after nearly 6,000 African Americans migrated to Kansas after the Emancipation. Their exodus was prompted by the 1879 Windom Resolution that encouraged African Americans to leave the southern states where they were still met with much hatred. Kansas promised a fresh start in a new land, away from the southerners who had once enslaved them.]

    ‘TLT’ stands out as a sort of (for lack of another word) ‘buffer’ against other films of the period, ones that depicted the fully entrenched racism of the Deep South: i.e., ‘In the Heat of the Night’, ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’, ‘Sounder’, etc. Though racism is certainly part of the fabric of ‘TLT’, the film has a somewhat softer edge – as it unveils the problematic transition from full-scale bigotry and abuse.

    Parks’ direction is assured and sensitively nuanced. His cast is strong and memorable. It’s a fine film.

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