Respond to these rapid questions in our Amazing Grace quiz and we will tell you which Amazing Grace character you are. Play it now.
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The original version of this review was published on November 14, 2018.
“Amazing Grace” is two days of Baptist church condensed into 90 minutes and injected directly into the soul of the audience member. This stirring documentary, shot over the course of 48 hours in Watts’ New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, captures the live recording of Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace, the most successful gospel album in history. She returned to the environment and the music that honed her voice and nurtured her soul when she was at the pinnacle of her powers, with 11 number one singles and five Grammy Awards to her name. After that, she went on to become her best-selling artist, earning her a Grammy as well as more than a few conversions. A powerful love letter to the Black Church, this film serves as a soul-shaking introduction for those who are unfamiliar with the church and a grandmotherly tug of the arm for those who are familiar with it; it drags you straight from the theater into the pews.
As a result, I’m here to provide testimony. Listen up, readers. I’m going to testify. Because he is the son of a minister, this sinner carries the DNA of the Baptist church in his veins. In my childhood, I would spend my Sundays in a suit and tie, fanning myself with popsicle stick paper fans and placing bets with my cousins on which of us would be the most happy in church that particular day. Years later, I was a member of the chwhyuh (to use the preacher’s pronunciation of the word choir), where I and my merry brethren were instructed by the most animated and enthusiastic of choir directors. Our congregation sang the familiar hymns that every Baptist is familiar with, and we rode the familiar rhythms and cadences of the service that we experienced every Sunday morning. Although I hadn’t attended worship in at least 25 years (it’s complicated, folks—don’t judge! ), I was able to recall every item on the checklist because it was soothingly repeated in my head. I had been looking forward to each and every one of them as I sat in the theater, and I was not disappointed.
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You’re right: “Amazing Grace” is a lot like Sundays at your Baptist church, with one major difference: you didn’t have Aretha Franklin as the lead soloist. To hear her make a joyful noise unto the Lord through the medium of Atlantic Records is one thing; but to witness her do so is something entirely different and even more exalting. In collaboration with gospel legend Reverend James Cleveland, who served as Re’s Master of Ceremonies and co-conspirator in crime, the rafters you hear raising on the record have now been given a visual representation. Even though her entrances into the church on both filming nights oozed with diva swagger, Re is a shy and reserved presence on camera for the most part, at least until she begins to sing. She says no more than seven words in the entire film, but don’t take this as a sign of insecurity on her part. The camera captures her in rehearsal, inquiring as to what key she should be singing in, and when she receives conflicting responses, she hilariously looks Rev. Cleveland in the eyes with daggers.
With his combination of court jester and sermonizer, Rev. Cleveland entertains both the camera (at one point, he throws a handkerchief at it) and the audience while keeping the church’s structure and order. Under normal circumstances, he would easily take the spotlight away from the other performers. However, as he points out, the circumstances are extraordinary, and as a result, he is content to delegate control to his lead singer. In “Amazing Grace,” Rev. Cleveland, on the other hand, plays a significant role in the most astonishing scene. During Re’s performance of the hymn that serves as the film’s title, the reverend is overcome with emotion, rising from the piano to openly cry in front of the camera. His emotion is genuine and contagious, and he interacts with the viewing audience in a perfectly timed and placed interaction. Also understandable, given Re’s otherworldly voice in this song, which is a highlight of the album. The camera records every drop of sweat that drips down her upturned face, and her body transforms into a glistening beacon, radiating her unwavering faith into the audience.
Amazing Grace Quiz
The Southern California Community Choir, a unisex group of exceptional singers with even more exceptional Afros, is on hand to provide backup. The aptly named Alexander Hamilton is in charge of directing them in the room where it all takes place, and his wildly energetic arms and body communicate the coded language that every choir member understands. Several gospel standards, including “How I Got Over” and “The Old Landmark,” are covered by the singers, the latter of which was performed by Re’s co-star in “The Blues Brothers,” James Brown, during the filming of “The Blues Brothers.” They also lend their voices to Re’s heavenly rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “Wholly Holy.” It happened more than once that I found myself reacting to Hamilton’s direction, reading it as if I were still wrapped in the suffocating but beautiful robes I used to wear back in the day. Once again, this film flawlessly and repeatedly connects us with the expected beats that the church instills in its parishioners’ hearts and minds.
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The New Missionary Baptist Church, where the filming takes place, is packed with people dressed in their Sunday best on both nights. While a few celebrities, such as Mick Jagger, are only briefly glimpsed and not formally introduced, two gospel legends receive some well-deserved screen time in this film. One of them is Clara Ward, who had a significant impact on Aretha Franklin’s career. In the second place, there’s Re’s father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin, who gives a brief sermon before rising from his seat to wipe the sweat from his daughter’s face while she sings at the piano, which is the film’s most tender moment. As much swagger as his daughter, Rev. C.L. Franklin enters “Amazing Grace” with a style that today’s preachers are unable to match. Daddy’s Little Girl is still alive in Re’s eyes, and her vulnerability is as strong as her voice in that moment, as she looks at her father with love in her heart.
As a response to Rev. Franklin’s words, Rev. Franklin’s daughter sings “Never Grow Old,” the first song she ever recorded, or, as we kids used to refer to it in church, “the song where they have to start dragging people out of here.” Immediately before the congregation erupted in applause, Steven Boone and I exchanged a knowing glance as people were caught up in the Holy Ghost and needed to be restrained. Re’s singing and piano playing, on the other hand, blew the doors off the place, resulting in a transcendent experience I’d never had in a theater setting before.
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And seeing it in a theater is an absolute must. If you have the opportunity to see this film and watch it alone at home, you should be struck by lightning by the strange-looking Jesus painting that appears in it. This is a big if, but it is possible. Although this was filmed in 1972, the world premiere of “Amazing Grace” took place on November 12, 2018, as previously stated. This is due to a major technical error that made it nearly impossible to sync the footage shot by Sydney Pollack and his ubiquitous crew (who don’t even bother to try to be inconspicuous on camera) with the sound. Consequently, the footage sat in a Warner Bros. vault for 35 years before being rediscovered and repurposed by producer Alan Elliott for a new project. After Pollack’s death in 2008 and numerous battles with bureaucracy and lawyers, it took another 11 years before the public was able to see the finished product for the first time. There is currently no distributor for the film, but cautious optimism exists that it will be released in theaters.
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Regardless of your religious beliefs, you owe it to yourself to see this film if the opportunity presents itself. You’ll be able to tell just how much love and emotion went into the creation of the resulting record. Furthermore, “Amazing Grace” is a deeply moving and extraordinarily soothing piece of music.. A good salve is something we could all use right now. To paraphrase another gospel standard, if we’ve ever needed this film before, we certainly need it now more than we ever have.
For more personality quizzes check this: The Biggest Little Farm Quiz.
