Rating summary
| Movie |  | 4.5 |
| Video |  | 3.0 |
| Audio | | 3.0 |
| Extras |  | 0.0 |
| Overall |  | 4.0 |
Anthem Blu-ray Movie Review
A compelling documentary short from Marlon Riggs (Ethnic Notions, Black Is... Black Ain't).
Reviewed by Neil Lumbard September 20, 2021
Anthem is a short documentary exploring six gay black artists: Essex Hemphill, Blackberri, Colin Robinson, Donald Woods, Reginald
Jackson, and Steve Langley. The group read poems about their roles in gay black communities. The film blends together documentary filmmaking and
a music-video style of production that recalls the early golden-era of MTV. The cast also features Marlon Riggs, Djola Bernard Branner, Willi Ninja,
Jesse Harris, and Tim Riera.
The production features poems, song, and dance: a poetic whirlwind of documentarian filmmaking exploring the lives of gay black men in
America. The
tribal dancing indicates gay pride. A central element of Anthem. These elements of song and poetry are at the heart of the documentary.
Riggs produced the short after be was diagnosed with AIDS. As an undercurrent to the film, the documentary explores the role of AIDS and a
frank discussion on the topic with gay black men. With editing by Christiane Badgley (Black Is... Black Ain't, Sacred Places),
Anthem discusses this in a compelling and open manner. Produced and directed by Marlon Riggs (Ethnic Notions, Black Is... Black
Ain't), AIDS remains an important topic – and anyone with an interest in a discussion on the disease should certainly seek out this eye-
opening film.
Poetry in motion.
Anthem – The Poems:
Essex Hemphill performs “American Wedding”
Blackberri performs “America the Beautiful”
Colin Robinson performs “Epiphany” “For CJ” and “Horizontal Stripes Are In”
Donald Woods performs “What Do I Do About You?”
Reginald Jackson performs “Initiation”
Steve Langley performs “Confection”
Anthem Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Arriving on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection, Anthem is presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The film has received
a new high-definition digital master. The release is in a new high-definition container but the material appears to be in standard-definition. The source
footage is inconsistent and the image is never as impressive as one might hope to find. Nonetheless, given the limitations, the encoding has fewer
compression errors and artifacts. A step above a DVD presentation.
Anthem Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The release is presented in uncompressed PCM mono. The lossless audio track is presented in 24 bit depth (high resolution). The audio track
has a more limited dynamic range compared to modern documentary productions. Nonetheless, dialogue was clear and easy to understand throughout
the presentation. The audio track isn't flashy or exciting but it gets the job done.
Anthem Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
To find out more regarding the supplemental features in The Signifyin' Works of Marlon Riggs collection, please refer to the main review page for the release.
Anthem Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
Anthem is a compelling documentary. The filmmaking is complex and nuanced. With six gay black men contributing distinctive poem
readings, the short film discusses AIDS and the role it plays in society. A wonderful production by Marlon Riggs (Ethnic Notions, Color
Adjustment). Highly recommended.
