"The Well" is a seldom seen film about race that is incredibly daring and far ahead of its time. Fortunately, it's now on YouTube and I strongly recommend you give this movie a chance.
The movie is an independent film released through United Artists. Sometime this could indicate that a picture is cheap and shoddy...but this one is inexpensive but a quality film throughout. And, because most of the actors are unknown, the effort looks more real than a typical and glossy Hollywood picture.
It begins with a black 5 year-old being reported missing and the police investigate. Soon they uncover some witnesses who say they saw a white man with the child and soon the entire community starts jumping to conclusions. This ends up tearing the town apart and underlying racial issues come boiling to the surface and race riots soon begin. Once they find the white man, however, the problem isn't over as he insists he's innocent and you cannot help but think that he's telling the truth. What's next? See the film.
Let's get to the bad first. There really isn't much bad about the film. My only criticism is that the film is poorly paced. The first half is great and moves quickly (possibly a bit too quickly) but the second half is so long and drawn out that it seriously impacts the tempo of the film. Compacting the final portion would have improved the film a lot.
As for the good, there is so much to like. The acting and script are excellent and the director did a great job of getting the most from mostly small-time actors. One of the only recognizable faces is Harry Morgan as the accused...and this was well before he became a star. Also, when it came to race, the film is FAR more honest, daring and blunt than a typical race film of the era. In "The Well", folks use very harsh language that is shocking...and I like how the film didn't avoid showing the ugliness of racism. Movies today aren't this honest about race in many ways. Hard-hitting and well made, this is a really good film that needs to be seen.
