Abstract:
The Son of Man (2006) is the first film in the Jesus film genre with an entirely black cast,
including the leading role of a black Jesus. Historically, the Jesus film genre has been
produced by western filmmakers with a white cast in ancient film sets, portraying how the
world of Jesus would have been in first century Palestine. Portrayals of Jesus are, thus,
typically portrayed as a white man with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and long white/brown
robes with sandals. Son of Man however, places the narrative of Jesus in a contemporary
South African context. Jesus is black, bald-headed, speaks isiXhosa, and upholds
isiXhosa culture and tradition. Son of Man is a transcultural narrative of Jesus, relating
the gospel narrative(s) to the black experience in South Africa. Son of Man diminishes
the perception that the image of Jesus can only be portrayed as western. It reinforces the
ideology of Black Consciousness and the praxis of Black Theology creatively and
artistically through film. This study analyses arguments about the purpose and role of art (film) in the black
experience. This study will demonstrate how art may be used to address social injustices
in post-1994 South Africa and the Son of Man film will be used as a case study. First, we
will discuss the interdisciplinary study in the fields of Theology and Film Studies: provide
the history of the portrayal of the Jesus figure in film, and define black aesthetics. Second,
we will relate blackness and art from the Black Power Movement in the United States of
America and the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa during the 1960s. We
will also discuss how Black Liberation Theology relates to aesthetics. Third, we will
discuss the relationship between aesthetics and ethics. Fourth, we will explore what it
means to be black and Christian in post-apartheid South Africa. Last, we will integrate
these findings and provide a conclusion.
