Say Amen, Somebody is a 1982 documentary film directed by George Nierenberg about the history and significance of gospel music as told through the lives and trials of its singers.
Smith was closely involved with the organization Dorsey co-founded, the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses (NCGCC), becoming the director of the Soloists' Bureau in 1939.
Seeking ideas for a new project, he asked blues guitarist and friend Ry Cooder for suggestions: "These were his exact words – he said, 'You oughta look into gospel music; those cats are really neat.'
He believed this, and his inexperience with the topic, allowed him to bring a "fresh point of view" to the film, saying, "One of my goals was to dispel the mystique of the gospel experience, which people have all kinds of misconceptions about... or don't know what to think of.
[4][5][6] Cinematographer Edward Lachman recognized the importance of developing relationships with the subjects, as "they knew us as people so they could react freely" in front of the cameras.
[3][a] The title of the film references typical moments in black churches when a preacher will say a phrase or scripture, and met without any response – especially if the congregation does not agree – will prompt them by saying, "Say 'Amen', somebody."
Dorsey does this in the film when he remembers that gospel blues, denigrated in black churches before 1932 for being sinful and degrading, is in actuality the "good news" of Christ's salvation, eliciting support and agreement from his audience.
Instead, stories are told through memories shared on camera, vintage film footage and still shots, and more intimate scenes Nierenberg set up between performances.
For example, a scene where Delois Barrett Campbell and her husband are having a discussion in their kitchen about her touring Europe with her sisters was instigated by Nierenberg, who already knew this was a point of contention between them.
While this took some time to accomplish – for instance, setting the lights for the performances at the NCGCC meeting took three days – it helped to enhance the realism in the film and put the subjects at ease.
In addition to organizing the tribute concert for Willie Mae Ford Smith, which he did purposefully to bring all the subjects together to watch them interact as they perform, Nierenberg picked each singing act's repertoire.
It debuted at the New York Film Festival on October 5, 1982 to a sold out audience, and opened in limited theaters in major cities on March 11, 1983.
Reviewers foremost expressed appreciation for the music, and they noted the repeated themes in the film: sexism within gospel, the passing of traditions from the older generation to the younger, and the sacrifices musicians must make forsaking commercial success for devotion to God.
[16] Richard Schickel in Time called Say Amen, Somebody "marvelously infectious", writing that he enjoyed the personalities of the subjects: Dorsey's zeal and showmanship despite his age and frailty, and Campbell's quiet aspirations in contrast to her husband's desire for her to stay home.
[17] Nearly forty years later, Wesley Morris in the same publication wrote about the film's restoration, calling it "mighty yet somehow modest", explaining, "the lasting power of the movie might be as a rare document of gospel skill and strategy".
Reviewer Chuck Bowen took away half a star for his observation that the film seems to neglect addressing racism as a primary cause of the cathartic power behind gospel music.
[23] Michael Giltz in Book and Film Globe, writes, "Ken Burns would need sixteen hours to scratch the surface of the complex and riveting history of gospel music.
But in 100 minutes of Say Amen Somebody, director Nierenberg gives a sense of the music's history, the major figures, the flaws (like the sexism of the churches) and sees a resurgence up ahead."
[12] John DeFore of the Hollywood Reporter writes that Say Amen, Somebody is "a joy-filled portrait with a healthy appetite for performance footage" and "a must for serious gospel fans, it also holds unexpected value for those interested in how attitudes have changed (or haven't) about women with careers outside the home.
[25] Say Amen, Somebody has been discussed in academic journals as well: Deborah Smith Pollard in the Journal of the Society for American Music writes, "Moving visuals such as these are noteworthy, opening up entry points for those who teach African American culture to highlight the multiplicity of ways in which individuals respond to worship services, sacred music programs, or films as riveting as Say Amen, Somebody."
Reviewing the restoration, Pollard specifically states that the audio "both spoken and sung, is absolutely worth the enrichment because of the informational and emotional power of what is delivered in every frame.
[9] In Ethnomusicology, Terrence Grimes praises "the overt humanness captured in the dialogue of the film's subjects", saying that it "gives viewers an ardent feeling, force, and joy that is contagious".