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Brother John

  • 1971
  • PG-13
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
836
YOUR RATING
Sidney Poitier and Beverly Todd in Brother John (1971)
Home Video Trailer from Columbia Tristar
Play trailer2:35
1 Video
19 Photos
DramaSci-Fi

A man who returns to his hometown for a funeral may have a much larger purpose in life than those around him can see.A man who returns to his hometown for a funeral may have a much larger purpose in life than those around him can see.A man who returns to his hometown for a funeral may have a much larger purpose in life than those around him can see.

  • Director
    • James Goldstone
  • Writer
    • Ernest Kinoy
  • Stars
    • Sidney Poitier
    • Will Geer
    • Bradford Dillman
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    836
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • James Goldstone
    • Writer
      • Ernest Kinoy
    • Stars
      • Sidney Poitier
      • Will Geer
      • Bradford Dillman
    • 20User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Brother John
    Trailer 2:35
    Watch Brother John

    Photos19

    Brother John (1971)
    Beverly Todd in Brother John (1971)
    Sidney Poitier in Brother John (1971)
    Sidney Poitier in Brother John (1971)
    Bradford Dillman in Brother John (1971)
    Richard Ward in Brother John (1971)
    Sidney Poitier in Brother John (1971)
    Brother John (1971)
    Beverly Todd in Brother John (1971)
    Sidney Poitier in Brother John (1971)
    Sidney Poitier in Brother John (1971)
    Sidney Poitier and Beverly Todd in Brother John (1971)

    Cast

    Edit
    Sidney Poitier
    Sidney Poitier
    • John Kane
    Will Geer
    Will Geer
    • Doc Thomas
    Bradford Dillman
    Bradford Dillman
    • Lloyd Thomas
    Beverly Todd
    Beverly Todd
    • Louisa MacGill
    Ramon Bieri
    Ramon Bieri
    • Orly Ball
    Warren J. Kemmerling
    Warren J. Kemmerling
    • George
    Lincoln Kilpatrick
    Lincoln Kilpatrick
    • Charley Gray
    P. Jay Sidney
    • Rev. MacGill
    Richard Ward
    Richard Ward
    • Frank
    Paul Winfield
    Paul Winfield
    • Henry Birkardt
    • Director
      • James Goldstone
    • Writer
      • Ernest Kinoy
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Columbia Pictures was denied the use of the name Kane for this picture by a 3-man industry panel on April 24, 1970. RKO claimed the moniker would be detrimental to the movie Citizen Kane (1941) which was still in re-issue. Variety, May 20, 1970.
    • Quotes

      John Kane: What do you want from me Doctor Thomas? I can't tell you anything.

      Doc Thomas: I know. You might just be a paranoid schizophrenic, and I might be a senile psychotic sharing your delusion.

      John Kane: That's possible.

    • Connections
      Featured in Shirtless: Hollywood's Sexiest Men (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      Children of the Summer
      Music by Quincy Jones and lyrics by Ernie Sheldon

      Performed by Clydie King

    User reviews20

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    What about hope, what about love?
    I stumbled over this film quite by accident. I've always been fascinated by Sidney Poitier for his stony dignified demeanor and Will Geer for his irrepressible amiability (even if playing the villain). When I saw that they'd both appeared together in this production, I was curious.

    "Brother John" is an extremely eclectic film. The genre of drama/sci-fi just about says it all, all while saying next to nothing. Sure, that's basically what it is... a strange combination of small-town drama, mixed with a dark and murky undertone. The writing is completely honest to both ends of the spectrum, all while explaining less than it suggests. The screenwriter, Ernest Kinoy, tells a tale that is murky yet surprising straightforward. The qualities of racial tension (a common theme of Poitier films) and the aspect of striking workers (a recurring plot point of Will Geer's life) might explain what drew the two stars to the script, and that's the corporeal backbone of the story.

    "Brother John" does not play at being a big film, and in spite of its incredible deftness in acting and direction, I'm not terribly surprised by its obscurity. There is no way whatsoever to pigeonhole the plot, and at times, even particularly understand what's going on. In a strange twist, I realized about halfway through that all of the vaguely fantastic elements could have been excised (even as late as in the editing room) and it still would have been a highly serviceable drama about life in the American south.

    But, instead, "Brother John" takes a sharp left turn. The title character (played by Poitier) is painted as a strange harbinger of death, like a raven on a fencepost. His identity is never fully explained. Is he the grim reaper, the angel of death, some sort of globe-trotting serial killer? These questions were answered to my satisfaction by the conclusion, but other viewers may not be so pleased, and some will leave feeling completely unfulfilled.

    What moved me most was, unexpectedly, the direction and cinematography. James Goldstone, the director, has a surprisingly comfortable relationship with his surroundings. There is little attempt to force framing, to relocate interfering objects, or to stage shots in an unnatural way. His actors move in-behind lamps, tree branches, and the camera makes no effort to circumvent them, unconcerned at being anything but an observer. Just the same, Goldstone has a brilliant sense of composition in the way he slips into deep, almost uncomfortable close-ups, then back to wide, languidly casual views of the whole room or outdoor space. He seems to be letting his actors do what they please, whatever gets the feeling across most honestly. A lot of this hinges on the dim, comforting cinematography of Gerald Perry Finnerman, who underlights almost everything, getting across a strong sense of warmth.

    You might call "Brother John" a mystery, and as I leave my thoughts on a film that few remember, I'm struck by the final questions in the dialogue. What about hope, what about love? Is it enough in the face of everything evil? Do we deserve what we've got? Well, we've got it, so it's up to us to live up to it... and maybe that's the real theme of this.
    helpful•9
    1
    • SteveSkafte
    • Dec 11, 2016

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    FAQ14

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 15, 1971 (Sweden)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Kane
    • Filming locations
      • Marysville, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • E&R
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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