Amazing Grace [2018] (5 Stars)

This is a phenomenal film featuring Aretha Franklin performing live in the Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles on 13th and 14th January 1972. It was the live recording of the album "Amazing Grace", which has become the world's most successful gospel album.

The recording was filmed by Sydney Pollack, and the film should have been released in 1972 as a documentary/concert performance, but the video and audio tracks were recorded separately and couldn't be synced with the technology available at the time. The film reels were stored in the vaults at Warner Bros until 2007, and the synchronisation was finally carried out successfully. The film should have been released in 2008, but Aretha Franklin filed an injunction to prevent it. She said that the studio had no right to use her image on film; what she really meant is that if they wanted to use her image on film they had to pay her a lot of money. It's sad that a wonderful singer like Aretha Franklin should descend into greed in her final years. I'm sure she received payment in 1972, but she probably looked at her contract for $2000 and thought to herself, "That's not enough. I want $2 million at least". She fought legal battles to keep the film unreleased until her death in 2018. As the Bible says, "The love of money is the root of all evil" (1. Timothy 6:10).

Fortunately, the film shows Aretha Franklin as she was. She was returning to her roots, singing in church. As the daughter of a pastor, the first songs she ever sang were hymns. Her father even comes up on stage to speak about her.

With the exception of the film crew, the congregation was completely black on the first night. The word must have got around that something special was happening, because I could see about 10 white people in the church on the second night. One of them was Mick Jagger, and he was standing up clapping his hands, moved by the spirit. He's come a long way since he sang "Sympathy for the Devil".

The atmosphere in the church was incredible. I can understand people visiting churches like that. They provide excitement that can hardly be found anywhere else. I'm not saying that churches like the Temple Missionary Baptist Church provide religion. Yes, they do, but religion can be provided in more traditional churches. The Temple Missionary Baptist Church provides religion plus excitement. The Christians in the audience seem sincere, but it isn't until they walk out of the building that they can show how genuine their faith is. "By their fruits you shall know them" (Matthew 7:20).

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