Verdict: Not Guilty (1933)

Verdict: Not Guilty (1933) poster

Part religious allegory and part church pageant, it presents the heavenly trial of a woman who has died giving childbirth out of wedlock. The jailer wears a mask death's head mask and a nun's habit with a skull and crossbones on the front and God sits on an altar, flanked by angels, while the devil attempts to convict the woman for her sins. Shot with a handheld camera that doesn't always remain steady or keep the scene in frame, it is full of religious imagery and evocative folkloric elements, with flashbacks to the woman's life that provide a realism in sharp contrast to the allegorical pageantry. It shows its amateur origins, the texture, the pageantry, and the allegorical and ritualistic elements also looks forward to the American Underground cinema of Kenneth Anger, Curtis Harrington, and others in the 1950s and 1960s.

Director: James Gist, Eloyce Gist
Genre: Drama, Horror, Fantasy
Runtime: 9 min
Release Date:

Screenplay

Editing: Eloyce Gist, James Gist
Country: United States of America
Language: No Language
Original Language: en

Keywords

woman director

Trailer

Verdict: Not Guilty Trailer
More Films by Director: James Gist, Eloyce Gist
More Films in Genre: Drama, Horror, Fantasy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Verdict: Not Guilty about?
Part religious allegory and part church pageant, it presents the heavenly trial of a woman who has died giving childbirth out of wedlock. The jailer wears a mask death's head mask and a nun's habit with a skull and crossbones on the front and God sits on an altar, flanked by angels, while the devil attempts to convict the woman for her sins. Shot with a handheld camera that doesn't always remain steady or keep the scene in frame, it is full of religious imagery and evocative folkloric elements, with flashbacks to the woman's life that provide a realism in sharp contrast to the allegorical pageantry. It shows its amateur origins, the texture, the pageantry, and the allegorical and ritualistic elements also looks forward to the American Underground cinema of Kenneth Anger, Curtis Harrington, and others in the 1950s and 1960s.
Who directed Verdict: Not Guilty?
Verdict: Not Guilty was directed by James Gist, Eloyce Gist.
How long is Verdict: Not Guilty?
Verdict: Not Guilty has a runtime of 9m (9 minutes).
What genre is Verdict: Not Guilty?
Verdict: Not Guilty is a Drama, Horror, Fantasy film.
Where was Verdict: Not Guilty produced?
Verdict: Not Guilty was produced in United States of America.