One of the best black-oriented movies to come out of Hollywood in the 1970s, GANJA AND HESS stars the late Duane Jones (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) as a New York anthropologist embroiled in a study of the lost ancient African culture of Myrthia, a nation that died out from a communicable
parasite that fed on human blood. During his research, Jones is stabbed with a jewel-encrusted Myrthian dagger by his crazed assistant (played by director Bill Gunn) and finds that he has become infected with the virus, turning him into a vampirelike creature addicted to blood. He fancies himself
an invincible African god and turns his wife, Clark, into a vampire as well.
This is a fascinating picture, managing both to subvert its commercial horror angle and to explore the contrasts between Western and African cultures--the former represented as repressive and puritanical, the latter as more virile and liberating. The late Gunn, who was also an accomplished
novelist, playwright and painter, imbues the film with a cultural richness little seen in black-targeted films. Impressionistic, vibrant, and rhythmic (the original soundtrack used both American spirituals and African traditional music), GANJA AND HESS is a memorable and haunting film.
Tragically, it was recut by its distributors for theatrical release. Most of the thematic lushness wound up on the floor, but the most heinous change was the removal of the African soundtrack in favor of bland American soul music. leave a comment
