Robeson and Sinatra's "Ol' Man River" - Sandhya Nadadur Core Post #4

A theme that repeatedly surfaced in Dyer's extensive analysis of Paul Robeson was that of "essentialism." Much of Robeson's unique persona stemmed from his deviation from this cultural expectation that African-Americans were essentially different. Indeed, Dyer reveals that much of the criticism in response to Robeson's portrayal of Othello came because the audience "desire[d] to see the racial dimension" of Othello "in terms of essential racial differences." Because Robeson was the first African-American to play the part on such prominent stages, critiques looked for "the blackness of emotionality, unreason and sensuality" in his portrayal. (Heavenly Bodies, 75). Robeson didn't give this to them - he, perhaps consciously, did not give the role of Othello sufficient barbarity.

In fact, it is not unlike Robeson to deviate from prevailing cultural expectations. Even in his singing, he "sings the melody straight through, with little adornment...or the jazz use of syncopation" (Heavenly Bodies, 79). I re-watched Robeson's rendition of "Ol' Man River" and his voice is, unsurprisingly, simple yet deeply soulful and emotional. I then listened to Sinatra's rendition of the same song, which was performed about 10 years after Robeson's, and noticed a striking similarity between their singing styles.

However, the caveat is that the similarity between Robeson and Sinatra's renditions of "Ol' Man River" ends with the auditory similarity. Visually, the two performances convey two distinct experiences, which, in turn, harkens back to this idea of "essentialism." It seems that even if internally Robeson defies essentialist expectations, externally he is framed in such a way that his performance is still consistent with prevailing expectations.

While, unlike in Sinatra's performance of "Ol' Man River", Robeson's performance forms a part of Show Boat's narrative, a few particular things nonetheless stand out:

1. For the most part, Robeson is alone in the frame. When he does share the frame with others, he appears on their level. 

2. Within the context of the film, Robeson isn't performing this song for any audience. This is emphasized by what he is wearing: something a typical worker might wear. 

2. Indeed, the fact that images of Robeson singing are cross-cut with images of workers toiling strongly places the song within the context of  the plight of African-American workers. 

Sinatra's visual performance of the song is a distinct departure from Robeson's:

 

1. Not only is Sinatra standing, he is also elevated on a podium and towers over everyone around him.  

2. He, and everyone else, is dressed completely in white. This challenges the thematic soundness of this song because the song is about workers toiling in the fields. It doesn't make sense that these workers could be dressed in full white suits. 

3. Sinatra's rendition is self-conscious of its performativity. That is, the meticulously choreographed movements, carefully planned visual symmetry/ camera movements and the appearance of the orchestra, reveal that Sinatra's performance knows that it is just that: a performance. 

Perhaps Sinatra is able to successfully depart from the song's original meaning because, given his race, he is able to negotiate and interpret the thematic elements of "Ol' Man River" outside of its original context. By contrast, Robeson (even when he consciously departs from what one would expect him to sound like), is still literally framed within a context (and therefore confined to a context) where his race and the associated narrative almost necessarily align with "essentialist" expectations.