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5.3/10
Archivist John
Senior Editor
A definitive 5.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Film 14 remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Does Film 14 deserve a spot on your watch list today? Short answer: Yes, but only if you view it as a historical artifact rather than a traditional cinematic narrative.
This film is for historians, students of the African diaspora, and those who find beauty in the unpolished reality of the 1920s. It is emphatically not for those seeking a structured plot or high-definition spectacle.
1) This film works because it offers an unfiltered, non-Western-centric view of global landmarks from a century ago, captured by a man whose very presence in these locations was a political statement.
2) This film fails because it lacks the technical cohesion of a professional production, often suffering from the jittery, unfocused energy of a handheld home movie.
3) You should watch it if you are tired of the curated, colonialist perspective of early 20th-century travel films and want to see the world through the lens of Solomon Sir Jones.
To understand Film 14, one must understand the man behind the lens. Solomon Sir Jones was not just a filmmaker; he was a witness. Unlike the staged melodrama of The Waif or the scripted tension of Faint Hearts, Film 14 is entirely devoid of artifice.
Jones travels from the Swiss Alps to the Pyramids of Giza. In Switzerland, he captures the sharp, cold clarity of the mountains. The camera moves with a sense of wonder that feels earned. He isn't looking for a story; he is looking for evidence of his own existence in these spaces.
There is a specific moment in the Italy sequence where the camera pans across a crowded plaza. Most films of this era, like La marcia nuziale, use Italian backdrops for romantic flair. Jones uses them for documentation. He records the mundane—the way people walk, the way the light hits the stone—with a meticulousness that borders on the obsessive.
The film is silent, grainy, and often poorly framed. To a modern eye, it might look like a mistake. But there is a rhythm to the editing that suggests a deliberate pacing. Jones isn't trying to be a cinematographer in the vein of those who worked on The Dream Cheater. He is a diarist.
The Egypt footage is particularly striking. While many films of the time, such as A Tale of the Far North, sought to exoticize 'foreign' lands, Jones approaches Egypt with a sense of kinship. The camera lingers on the faces of the locals. It doesn't look down on them. It looks at them.
The shaky camera work in the Israel segments adds a layer of kinetic energy. You feel the heat of the sun. You feel the movement of the crowd. It is raw. It is honest. It is sometimes frustratingly brief. But it is never boring.
If you are looking for a story, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a soul, stay here. Film 14 is a ghost of a world that no longer exists, captured by a man who refused to be ignored by history.
It lacks the polish of An American Widow, but it possesses a truth that scripted films can never touch. It is a vital piece of the puzzle for anyone interested in the history of Black cinema and the global Black experience.
One cannot ignore the social implications of this footage. In the 1920s, for a Black man to travel through Europe and the Middle East with a camera was an act of extreme privilege and bravery. Every frame of Film 14 is a testament to Jones' status and his desire to share that world with his community back home.
Compare this to Film 19, another entry in the collection. While that film focuses on more domestic scenes, Film 14 is outward-facing. It is Jones telling the world, 'I was here.' It is a rejection of the limitations placed upon him by the Jim Crow era in America.
The transition from Switzerland to Egypt is jarring. The visual contrast between the white snow and the tan desert sands is one of the few 'cinematic' moments that feels intentional. It highlights the sheer scale of his journey. This wasn't just a trip; it was a crusade of curiosity.
The historical value is immeasurable. Seeing Egypt and Israel in the mid-20s through a non-commercial lens is a revelation. The film also serves as a beautiful tribute to the ambition of Solomon Sir Jones.
The lack of sound and narrative can make it difficult to engage with for long periods. It feels more like a slideshow than a movie. Some sequences are too short to truly settle into the environment.
When held up against other films from the same period, like A Celebrated Case, Film 14 feels like it belongs to a different medium entirely. While Just a Woman relies on theatrical performance, Jones relies on the performance of reality. There are no actors here, only people living their lives.
Even compared to other Jones films like Sawdust, this specific reel stands out for its geographical ambition. It is the peak of his travelogue work. It is more expansive than Off the Trolley and more serious than A Debtor to the Law.
Film 14 is a diamond in the rough. It is technically flawed but spiritually massive. It challenges the viewer to look past the grain and see the humanity of a century ago. It is a necessary watch for anyone who believes that the camera is a tool for liberation. It works. But it’s flawed. Watch it for the history, not the thrills.
"Solomon Sir Jones didn't just record the world; he claimed it for a generation that was told they didn't belong in it."
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1926
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