{"id":97993,"date":"2024-06-21T12:32:40","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T19:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=97993"},"modified":"2024-06-21T12:32:40","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T19:32:40","slug":"learning-tree-the-1969","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=97993","title":{"rendered":"Learning Tree, The (1969)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;You just hate us colored kids, don&#8217;t you?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Poster-195x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-97994\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Poster-195x300.png 195w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Poster-83x128.png 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Poster-176x270.png 176w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Poster.png 606w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA 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?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Coming of Age<\/li>\n<li>Historical Drama <\/li>\n<li>Race Relations and Racism<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAcclaimed photojournalist <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gordon_Parks\">Gordon Parks<\/a> 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): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-After-Tornado.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-After-Tornado.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"296\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-97997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-After-Tornado.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-After-Tornado-300x123.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-After-Tornado-128x53.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-After-Tornado-604x248.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; but emerges ready for church, where he meets a beautiful young teenager (Mira Waters) who has just moved to town with her family. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Outside-Church.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Outside-Church.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"296\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-97999\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Outside-Church.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Outside-Church-300x123.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Outside-Church-128x53.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Outside-Church-604x248.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A gentle romance ensues, though it&#8217;s interrupted by racial- and gender-based violence (discreetly shown off-screen). Meanwhile, the crux of the narrative centers on Johnson&#8217;s friendship with other local boys &#8212; including the troubled son (Alex Clarke) of a local drunk (Richard Ward) &#8212; and their interactions with a white farmer (George Mitchell) whose apples they steal, as well as the town&#8217;s racist sheriff (Dana Elcar). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Sheriff.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Sheriff.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"296\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-98000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Sheriff.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Sheriff-300x123.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Sheriff-128x53.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Sheriff-604x248.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Johnson&#8217;s homelife with his mother (Estelle Evans): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Evans.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Evans.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"296\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-98001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Evans.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Evans-300x123.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Evans-128x53.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Evans-604x248.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; father (Felix Nelson), and sister provides him with plenty of solace in the midst of increasingly challenging situations, culminating in a dramatic court case. <\/p>\n<p>Given this film&#8217;s historical precedence, it seems worth citing at length from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/81119\/the-learning-tree#articles-reviews?articleId=88462\">TCM&#8217;s article<\/a>: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>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&#8217;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 &#8212; after Hyman heard him play a song he had written on the piano &#8212; 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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It&#8217;s too bad that the movie itself isn&#8217;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&#8217;t shy away from depicting racism in all its forms across this supposedly desegregated community, ranging from lowered expectations from Johnson&#8217;s teacher (Peggy Rea): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Teacher.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Teacher.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"296\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-98002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Teacher.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Teacher-300x123.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Teacher-128x53.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Teacher-604x248.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; to mob vitriol. This film is worth a look for its historical significance, but ultimately not must-see viewing. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Burnett Guffey&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"296\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-97995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Cinematography.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Cinematography-300x123.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Cinematography-128x53.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Learning-Tree-Cinematography-604x248.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;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. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0064579\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/trailersfromhell.com\/the-learning-tree\/\">Trailers From Hell Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/81119\/the-learning-tree#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1969\/08\/07\/archives\/the-learning-tree.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;You just hate us colored kids, don&#8217;t you?&#8221; 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&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=97993\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97993"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98008,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97993\/revisions\/98008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}