Review: Gordon Parks' "The Learning Tree" Shines on Blu-ray Courtesy of Criterion

In addition to being known as one of the most important American photographers ever – full stop – Gordon Parks compounded that visual talent by being an iconoclastic filmmaker with a body of work that spans multiple genres. Not to mention, Parks was the first Black American director to make a Hollywood studio film. That film is "The Learning Tree," a narrative work that pulls from Parks' semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. And while you don't hear about the film nearly as much as Parks' landmark work in blaxploitation, "Shaft," this first feature announced the arrival of a voice that was just as perceptive as Parks' non-film work.

"The Learning Tree" makes its Blu-ray debut courtesy of The Criterion Collection, boasting a 1080p presentation sourced from a 2K restoration of the 35mm interpositive. Compared to the 2011 DVD from Warner Archive, this is a terrific presentation with healthy, natural grain and terrific clarity in shots that prioritize detail. As someone who has seen a 35mm print of "The Learning Tree" theatrically, I can say confidently that this Blu-ray is a dependable translation of the film's look.

Criterion also adds a newly-filmed documentary on the making of the film, including interviews with curator Rhea L. Combs and filmmakers Ina Diane Archer, Ernest R. Dickerson, and Nelson George. Dickerson is always one to listen to about the craft of filmmaking, but some terrific context is given to the film's inception and production, and Parks' own life here. There's a great wealth of other special features to explore as well, including a previously-filmed documentary about Parks directed by his son, Gordon Parks Jr.

"The Learning Tree" tells the story of Newt Winger (Kyle Johnson), a Black teenager who's a descendant of Exodusters growing up in rural Kansas in the 1920s. Although many of Newt's childhood experiences – like a flowering first love and struggling in school – feel familiar, they're of course tempered by the racist institutions that keep Newt's greatest aspirations from ever being realized. The film follows Newt through all the hard-won lessons, harsh realities, and fateful choices he'll have to make along the way.

Although "The Learning Tree" could be categorized easily as a coming-of-age film, what I remain most struck by is just how clear-eyed and thorough the depiction of 1920s Kansas is here. Newt's trials and tribulations might be driving the narrative, but what strikes hardest are the various nuances that posit Kansas as both a place of great nostalgia and even greater pain. But even with that pain, Parks' unmistakable eye for cutting through images to reveal beauty living right next to those harsh realities comes through clear as day.

Gordon Parks' "The Learning Tree" is a landmark film for a multitude of reasons, and also a singular work that, sadly, sometimes feels like an anomaly. It's terrific to see The Criterion Collection give the film a proper home release on Blu-ray, and I'm hoping people seek out the film.

Other special features include:

� "The Moviemakers" – A featurette that shows Parks on location for the film
�"Diary of a Harlem Family" and "The World of Piri Thomas" – Two 1968 films on which Parks played creative roles, with an introduction by Combs and George
� Trailer
� English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
� PLUS: A 1963 Life magazine photo-essay by Parks, and an excerpt from the director's 2005 book "A Hungry Heart: A Memoir"

"The Learning Tree" is now available on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.