Why Sanders of the River is a fascinating, cringey relic

Don't watch Sanders of the River if you want a relaxing Sunday night movie. It is a wildly uncomfortable look at 1930s British colonialism that will probably make your jaw drop a few times. 😬

But if you are a film history nerd or want to see Paul Robeson sing like a god while trapped in a terrible script, it is absolutely worth a look.

Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way first.

This movie is basically a giant commercial for the British Empire.

Leslie Banks plays Commissioner Sanders, a man who struts around Nigeria in crisp whites acting like a stern but loving dad to thousands of locals.

He literally calls the adult villagers his "children." It is incredibly awkward to watch today.

But the real reason anyone still talks about this film is Paul Robeson.

Robeson plays Bosambo, a chief who helps Sanders keep the peace.

When Robeson opens his mouth to sing, the whole movie stops. His voice is like warm, heavy velvet. 🎶

It is a crying shame that he is singing lyrics about how wonderful "Lord Sandy" is.

Robeson actually hated the final cut of this movie because the filmmakers edited it to be way more pro-empire than he was promised.

You can almost feel his regret vibrating through the screen in some of the later scenes.

There is a really weird energy to the crowd scenes too.

Some of the local Nigerian dancers look like they are having a blast, while others look like they want to throw their spears at the camera crew.

Also, Jomo Kenyatta—the actual future president of Kenya—is just standing in the background of some shots holding a shield. It is a bizarre easter egg for history buffs.

The plot itself is pretty thin.

Sanders goes on leave, some bad guys bring in guns and booze, and everything goes to hell until Sanders comes back to save the day.

If you want a simple, sweet story where people just get along, you should probably watch 'Twas Ever Thus instead.

The editing is super choppy in the second half.

One minute there is a massive tribal war brewing, and the next, Sanders is just calmly sailing down the river in his tiny steamboat.

The boat itself looks like a toy in some of the wide shots.

I swear you can see the ripples in the studio water tank during one of the storm scenes. ⛵

The Weird Little Things

Here are some things I couldn't stop noticing:

• The way Leslie Banks never seems to sweat despite wearing a wool uniform in the jungle.
• The laughably fake-looking crocodiles that just sort of float by.
• The fact that Nina Mae McKinney is wearing way too much 1930s Hollywood makeup for a river village.

In the end, it is a hard movie to recommend as pure entertainment.

It is more like a museum piece that has started to smell a bit funny.

Watch it for Robeson's incredible voice, but keep a bucket nearby for the cringe-worthy politics.