She is silent, purposefully scribbling with a pen, one arm casually propping her bent head.But Miss Davis is seldom silent, at least in this picture, once she gets going with a torrent of words, whether denouncing the United States Government or "prison injustice" in her homeland. Miss Davis also has a sense of humor, at least in the informal classroom scene where she analyzes the hierarchical dominance of one large American corporation.In the most winning moment of the film, we see her alone at night in her Los Angeles apartment. She is never at a loss for words, and we get a distinct impression of force and sincerity as she gives interviews, addresses political meetings, holds informal discussions and finally leads a crowd of protesters into the courtroom at San Rafael, Calif.And what is Miss Davis like close up? Handsome, almost strikingly so, with a graceful, informal demeanor and an easy, beautiful smile. The movie is being shown through Wednesday at the Whitney Museum.The picture opens with a glimpse of Miss Davis, already a controversial figure, high up and peering through bars at the local Women's House of Detention, as street supporters rally outside.The rest of the footage backtracks and fills in her explosive career as a political leftist.
The 60-minute movie was assembled by Yolande du Luart and a team of other film students at the University of California at Los Angeles, where Miss Davis's outspoken utterances, as a teacher and a protester, first got her in hot, capitalistic water.
The student-made documentary titled "Angela Davis: Portrait of a Revolutionary" was made prior to the imprisonment of its controversial heroine, whose scheduled trial for murder, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy is due in a few weeks.Even if this were not so, this crude but telling film close-up of the black avowed Communist and ardent foe of capitalistic society-its structure and its flaws-would make engrossing viewing.
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