Critic Reviews

• Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

  Good, if unremarkable.

• Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

  In his excellent documentary, also called Strange Fruit, filmmaker Joel Katz takes a fascinating look at the origins and impact of a ballad that's been called 'one of ten songs that changed the world.'

• Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

  This is a film well worth seeing, talking and singing heads and all.

• Dave Kehr, New York Times

  Polished, well-structured film.

• Lou Lumenick, New York Post

  An absorbing documentary.

• Laura Sinagra, Village Voice

  Mining the song's associative richness, Katz's film works as jazz genealogy, Meerpol bio, Jewish-leftist puzzle piece, performance homage, and exegetic history of lynching.

• Jeffrey M. Anderson, San Francisco Examiner

  It's a talking head documentary, but a great one.

• Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews

  "Strange Fruit"...should be mandatory viewing by all students old enough to understand the meaning and importance of the haunting song.

• Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews

  Katz uses archival footage, horrifying documents of lynchings, still photographs and charming old reel-to-reel recordings of Meeropol entertaining his children to create his song history, but most powerful of all is the song itself

• Pam Grady, Reel.com

  Though only 60 minutes long, the film is packed with information and impressions.

• Prairie Miller, WBAI Web Radio

  Provocatively enlightens us on the fascinating origins and social convulsions created by the song Strange Fruit, and its profound connection to the progressive movements of the last century.

• Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide

  Katz's documentary doesn't have much panache, but with material this rich it doesn't need it.

Read all 12 critic reviews