Huie's Sermon (1981 TV Movie) User Reviews

Preacher as rock star.

[dbborroughs · 7/10 · 30 April 2008]

Pretty much the title tells it all, its a sermon by a pastor in a church in a run down part of Brooklyn. The Camera pretty much focuses squarely on the man as he says his piece. It begins slowly and then slowly builds. Statically filmed, the camera simply watches the Reverend and never moves, this is the film equivalent of being in the church. It's a bit awkward at first since not a great deal happens but as time goes on and the emotion begins to build it becomes something to see. One is drawn into the film quite easily. No tricks, no games, no real cutaways, just the man doing what he does. More footnote then a meal this is am intriguing look at something many people don't experience. Definitely worth a look, though I would either watch this on its own or at the start of a program of Herzog's short films because odds are anything seen before this will make it tough to get through due to the static nature of the camera work and the slow building of the emotion.

Lo-fi film about a highly charged event

[Red-Barracuda · 5/10 · 12 April 2017]

Huie's Sermon is one of the films from Werner Herzog which is ostensibly a documentary but not in a traditional sense, like the earlier How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck (1976) the idea of this film is simply to watch events with no editorial opinion offered. I guess the idea being that what is filmed speaks for itself. In this instance, the subject is the Reverend Huie L. Rogers, or more specifically one of his sermons. It begins quite unremarkably but slowly builds a momentum and rhythm that it becomes a performance piece. The presentation was so rhythmical and emotional that I soon was caught up so much in its sound and feel that I stopped paying any attention to its content. It incorporated music accompaniment and really had the feel of intense soul music quite often. It was quite a show but it was tiring to watch, never mind what it must have been to deliver. The film-making here is resolutely lo-fi with a single camera simply pointing at the reverend in an unbroken single shot for the most part. The main alternatives to this were some tracking shots of the run-down Brooklyn neighbourhood in which the church's congregation came from. These badly deprived streets were an interesting counterpoint to the wild passion of the church; it showed that it's often people with the least advantages who create the most joy. Overall, a fascinating, if limited film.

An impassioned man

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 6 March 2021]

Another short documentary by Werner Herzog with minimal directorial input. It's similar in scope to both GOD'S ANGRY MAN, another impassioned religious rant, and the one where Herzog filmed auctioneers at a sale. There's something hypnotic about watching Huie at work and this plays out as testament to his skills as orator, his sermon almost turning into song at one point. My main complaint is that the dialogue is quite difficult to understand even if you turn the volume up.

James Brown eat your heart out

[arkid77 · 12 August 2001]

James Brown eat your heart out

'Huies Predigt' (Huie's Sermon) was made the same year that John Landis released 'The Blues Brothers'. I would love to know if one of these productions had any influences on the other... maybe it's just a happy coincidence.

Reverend Huie is the real life Cleophus James (played by James Brown in 'The Blues Brothers'. This short lasts for the entire length of the reverend's sermon, filmed in front of a live congregation in the reverends hometown of Brooklyn. This really is documentary in its rawest form... as the single camera shot tracks the manic reverend from a safe distance for the entire length of his sermon. As Huie escalates into an ever increasing incomprehensible frenzy, I couldn't help but wonder how it was all going to end.

Apart from a few establishing and end shots the entire documentary is spent tracking the reverend in a couple of single shot takes. In the middle of the sermon Herzog cuts to a few shots of the run down Brooklyn streets and derelict buildings that contain the home's of Huie's all black congregation (giving Herzog time to reload his single camera).

I was lucky enough to see this and two other documentaries projected in one session. This was the last short shown, and by this point several members of the audience got up and left mid way through before the sermon had ended. I would recommend sticking this out, as although difficult to make out at points, the sermon is quite fascinating and Huie's views worth hearing. This is definitely preaching old school style. The reverend discusses the problems on the street that Herzog has shown us, but also attacks topics as far ranging as energy saving devices to sex change operations.

BTW, look out for the disciples on hand throughout the sermon at stage side, equipped with towels to help mop the reverend down.

As good as it gets for a sermon

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 10 June 2015]

This is a 40-minute television documentary by German filmmaker Werner Herzog showing us a sermon by African American Huie L. Rogers. It's very loud, it's very emotional and Huie becomes pretty ecstatic giving us his speech. Lots of music involved too. But the titles says it all, it is just a sermon. It's probably much more effective to see live than on screen and if you do not have a real interest in religion, you will not be amazed at all I guess. I also believe this would not be half as known without the famous filmmaker behind it. Herzog was in his late 30s when this was made and 1981 was a bit of a religious year for him. In contrast to this one here,, he also gave us the White American take on the issue with a documentary on televangelist Dr. Gene Scott. I personally recommend to watch these two together as this is probably the most effective way to suck in the point Herzog's trying to make here. One difference is that Herzog narrates the one about Scott while he is completely quiet during the one on Huie. Still, without an interest on religion I believe the impact these two have on you won't be that big.

Huie's Sermon

[Michael_Elliott · 29 February 2008]

Huie's Sermon (1980)

*** (out of 4) Herzog documentary about Reverend Huie (played by James Brown in The Blues Brothers), a loud, screaming, drooling preacher who brings soul to the Bible. This is a rather strange documentary because there's really nothing being told by the director. The camera just rolls as this guy preaches and he does a great job and keeps this thing entertaining but I'm really not sure what Herzog was trying to do other than film something.

You can buy this film from Herzog's website. Also there you will find many other Herzog films, some of which aren't available anywhere else.