Blood Done Sign My Name Review
By David Kempler
Bloody Poor
Timothy Tyson, during his tenure as a professor of African-American studies, wrote "Blood Done Sign My Name", which deals with the 1970 murder of Henry Marrow, a black man in North Carolina. The case helped launch the career of Ben Chavis, who eventually became the executive Director of the NAACP.
The book has been adapted for the screen by Jeb Stuart, who also directs, and the result feels like a decent TV-movie, but not much more than that. On screen, it all begins with Reverend Vernon Tyson (Rick Schroder) moving, along with his family, to Oxford, North Carolina, not exactly a cosmopolitan outpost. The Civil Rights movement is more fantasy than reality in these parts. Picture lots of good ol' boys looking sideways at anyone who might not be "one of them".
Ben Chavis (Nate Parker) is a young teacher who has returned to his hometown and he is somewhat surprised that time has stood still in Oxford. While Vernon is trying to shake up his all-white flock by moving them into the present, Ben is awakening to the political turn his life is beginning to take.
Henry Marrow (A.C. Sanford) is minding his own business one day when he is assaulted and murdered by a local family. The trial follows, with its inevitable not-guilty verdict, and the disaffected locals take to the street for a little bit of mayhem - like setting fires to local businesses. Normally, I would never tell you what happens but I'm making an exception for two reasons: the first is that it's a true story; the second is that this is a paint-by-numbers experience. Everything is telegraphed, and never subtly, so there's little point in trying to keep anything a secret.
Rick Schroder is either hopelessly overmatched by his role or it's not written very well. I'm pretty sure it's the former. Nate Parker feels wooden in his role and no one in the cast stands out in any way. Everyone is doing their part but none excel at it. It's a shame because this is obviously a very powerful story even if it doesn't feel that way here.
