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The Learning Tree
The Learning Tree is a 1969 American coming-of-age film written, produced and directed by Gordon Parks, who also scored the film. It depicts the life of Newt Winger, a teenager growing up in Cherokee Flats, Kansas, in the 1920s and chronicles his journey into manhood marked with tragic events. Based on Parks' 1963 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, The Learning Tree was the first film directed by a Black filmmaker for a major American film studio, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts.
In 1989, The Learning Tree was among the first group of 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
In 1920s Kansas, a group of African-American boys, Newt Winger, Marcus Savage, and friends steal apples from Jake Kiner's orchard, and when Jake (who is white) confronts the boys, he is beaten and left for dead by Marcus, who later is sent to jail for his actions. While chasing after Marcus and the boys, the racist white sheriff shoots dead an innocent Black boy crossing a river, and the sheriff is not punished.
Newt, despite escapades like ending up in a barn during a tornado with a large local girl who takes off her clothes, does well in school and aims to go to college; a white teacher tries to dissuade him, but the white principal opposes the racism of the town and encourages his ambitions.
While Marcus is in jail, Newt begins to work for Jake to make up for his actions and those of his friends and begins a relationship with Arcella Jefferson, a new girl in town, but his relationship with her is destroyed when Chauncey Cavanaugh, a white boy and son of the local judge, impregnates Arcella (implied to be through rape), who ultimately moves away out of shame. (The judge later apologizes to Newt and his family and says things will be taken care of)
After Marcus leaves jail, he works as a janitor at a brothel. Another scene depicts Newt's winning a boxing match at the county fair, in which he beats Marcus.
One day when Newt had just woken up from a nap in the loft of Jake's barn, he witnesses the brutal attack and murder of Jake by Booker Savage, Marcus' father, who was stealing liquor. Newt initially keeps quiet about what he has seen, but is bothered that Silas Newhall, a white man and disgruntled employee of Jake, who was at the scene of the crime for another reason, is being accused of a murder he did not commit. Encouraged by his mother, Sarah (who dies from the stress of all the goings-on), Newt reveals to Judge Cavanaugh that Booker committed the murder, and he testifies in court. Newt's testimony leads to the suicide of Booker, who seized a gun at the courthouse. Later, Newt is nearly killed by Marcus, who is then shot in the back by the sheriff while running away and who dies in the same river that Newt's and Marcus's friend was shot in. Newt refuses a lift home from the sheriff, and he walks away to an uncertain future.
The film The Learning Tree is based on Gordon Parks's 1963 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. Parks also wrote the screenplay, and as a result, the script for the film did not deviate much from the book, except for featuring fewer characters for the sake of running time. In addition to being the screenwriter, he was the director, producer, and music composer. Burnett Guffey served as cinematographer, and Parks was assisted by Jack Aldworth and Fred Giles. Parks tried to include as many Black technicians as possible on the film.
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The Learning Tree
The Learning Tree is a 1969 American coming-of-age film written, produced and directed by Gordon Parks, who also scored the film. It depicts the life of Newt Winger, a teenager growing up in Cherokee Flats, Kansas, in the 1920s and chronicles his journey into manhood marked with tragic events. Based on Parks' 1963 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, The Learning Tree was the first film directed by a Black filmmaker for a major American film studio, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts.
In 1989, The Learning Tree was among the first group of 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
In 1920s Kansas, a group of African-American boys, Newt Winger, Marcus Savage, and friends steal apples from Jake Kiner's orchard, and when Jake (who is white) confronts the boys, he is beaten and left for dead by Marcus, who later is sent to jail for his actions. While chasing after Marcus and the boys, the racist white sheriff shoots dead an innocent Black boy crossing a river, and the sheriff is not punished.
Newt, despite escapades like ending up in a barn during a tornado with a large local girl who takes off her clothes, does well in school and aims to go to college; a white teacher tries to dissuade him, but the white principal opposes the racism of the town and encourages his ambitions.
While Marcus is in jail, Newt begins to work for Jake to make up for his actions and those of his friends and begins a relationship with Arcella Jefferson, a new girl in town, but his relationship with her is destroyed when Chauncey Cavanaugh, a white boy and son of the local judge, impregnates Arcella (implied to be through rape), who ultimately moves away out of shame. (The judge later apologizes to Newt and his family and says things will be taken care of)
After Marcus leaves jail, he works as a janitor at a brothel. Another scene depicts Newt's winning a boxing match at the county fair, in which he beats Marcus.
One day when Newt had just woken up from a nap in the loft of Jake's barn, he witnesses the brutal attack and murder of Jake by Booker Savage, Marcus' father, who was stealing liquor. Newt initially keeps quiet about what he has seen, but is bothered that Silas Newhall, a white man and disgruntled employee of Jake, who was at the scene of the crime for another reason, is being accused of a murder he did not commit. Encouraged by his mother, Sarah (who dies from the stress of all the goings-on), Newt reveals to Judge Cavanaugh that Booker committed the murder, and he testifies in court. Newt's testimony leads to the suicide of Booker, who seized a gun at the courthouse. Later, Newt is nearly killed by Marcus, who is then shot in the back by the sheriff while running away and who dies in the same river that Newt's and Marcus's friend was shot in. Newt refuses a lift home from the sheriff, and he walks away to an uncertain future.
The film The Learning Tree is based on Gordon Parks's 1963 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. Parks also wrote the screenplay, and as a result, the script for the film did not deviate much from the book, except for featuring fewer characters for the sake of running time. In addition to being the screenwriter, he was the director, producer, and music composer. Burnett Guffey served as cinematographer, and Parks was assisted by Jack Aldworth and Fred Giles. Parks tried to include as many Black technicians as possible on the film.