“And its strange when we die, our folks like to rejoice, but when it comes to the living, that’s it”
This quote from the priest in Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song displays an interesting aspect of black noir: Religion. Christianity is an integral part of black culture. As a person who grew up in a black Baptist church with parents who were very active in the church, the Christian morality and idioms and phrases from the church are ingrained in my mind. If we look back to `If He Hollers Let Him Go, Bob invokes his religion when he feels secure in his relationship with Alice saying, “Peace Father, it is truly wonderful”. In Sweetback, religion is present everywhere – from the opening scene with the hymn being sung, to the women chanting during Sweetback’s running scenes – religion is the heartbeat beneath the scenes of violence and fear. It can be interpreted as a way for black culture to fight against their mistreatment in society. Religion helps to give black people peace of mind, like the Priest said. He gives them an escape. There is the other idea of religion though, that it is a white morality that has been placed upon the black body. Which is why, I think, the priest vows to say a black Hail Mary. It would be interesting to investigate whether or not religion is an escape from a harsh reality, or if it is just another form of oppression. The film Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song holds both ideas at the same time.