The film was directed by Krishna Shah, and starred James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, and Louis Gossett Jr.

Johnny Williams (James Earl Jones) is a working house painter and amateur poet who is trying to live in a contemporary ghetto in Watts, Los Angeles, California.

Johnny's main pride and joy, his son Jeff (played by Glynn Turman) just returned from U.S. Air Force flight school, where he finally reveals that he flunked out, causing great disillusionment.

He said it "is only occasionally dimmed by poor dialogue and an uncomfortable attitude toward women Walker's screenplay while usually both streetwise and lyrical sometimes goes stagy unnatural and forced The River Niger speaks to Blacks in a resounding voice But it is not without meaning for white people — not just because its themes are universal: simply because whites can learn something about Black Americans hum this movie If for some reason that isn't enough then see The River Niger for its fire and poignancy or its dazzling performances.

He says that "some of the characters and situations are hard to believe because they are such obviously set-up vehicles for the playwright's arguments and desired effects admissible under stage convention, but strained by the naturalistic demands of screen narrative, which also highlight many Don Morrison artificialities of spoken language, exciting and satisfying though the speeches may be.