Adam Clayton Powell (1989)

The rise and fall of the charismatic minister, Congressman, and civil rights leader Adam Clayton Powell is outlined in this short documentary. For such a complex and intriguing figure in politics, less than an hour is obviously not enough to do his history justice. The result is a blink and you miss it, CliffsNotes version of his life. There’s a more than twenty year old television movie based on his life that I’d like to find a copy of, but even better would be for someone to put out a modern theatrical take on his story.

Oscar Nomination: Best Documentary, Features