A bouquet of classic black movies—‘Hallelujah!,’ ‘The Green Pastures,’ ‘Cabin in the Sky,’ and ‘Purlie Victorious’—arrive in anticipation of Black History month. Of course it’s always the right time to revel in our cultural history but what do these pieces of celluloid history say to us about today’s culture?

Although each film is a special relic of the past, they challenge our contemporary ideas about the artistry and social consciousness of our show business ancestors. Every film was considered a progressive breakthrough in its time. ‘Hallelujah!’ (1929), directed by King Vidor, was one of the earliest sound films. It also broke barriers as Hollywood’s first serious film about black American life. ‘The Green Pastures’ (1936), directed by Marc Connelly and William Keighley was a ‘30s blockbuster on Broadway and made history as Hollywood’s most elaborate black fantasy. ‘Cabin in the Sky’ (1943), the first great musical directed by the legendary Vincente Minnelli, showcased the leading black musical performers of its era. ‘Purlie Victorious’ (1963), directed by Nicholas Webster, was the film adaptation of Ossie Davis’s satirical stage triumph.

To better appreciate the artistic and political advance of our Hollywood pioneers, let’s pay due respect to these innovative films and project what their contemporary impact might be.

Hallelujah! (1929) THEN: King Vidor was a social activist but also one of the great experimenters of the silent era. He took early sound cameras outside of the MGM studio lot and on location to the South which resulted in a new kind of movie. ‘Hallelujah!’ is part-documentary, part-melodrama and part-gospel musical. Daniel L. Haynes and Nina Mae McKinney were like Porgy and Bess, dealing with the realities of plantation toil and religious influence. Their love story--a classic struggle between the sacred and the profane—was a result of their sensual, charismatic teamwork.

NOW: Director Charles Stone III (‘Drumline’) has shown the imagination and vision to depict black life with similar moral profundity. Imagine Terrence Howard and Sanaa Lathan in similar roles but exhibiting singing and dancing talent, too. It would be a modern tour de force.

The Green Pastures (1936) THEN: This elaborate depiction of Sunday school lessons is based on a black child’s imaginings: Heaven is seen as a weekend fish fry and God is portrayed as a wise gospel preacher (played by Rex Ingram). The fantasy element is as otherworldly as The Wizard of Oz but each biblical episode is also symbolic of the Negro social struggle, rooted in the spiritual view of gospel and sorrow songs.

NOW: George C. Wolfe mastered the same kind of political/cultural metaphors in his famous 80s stage play ‘The Colored Museum.’ A new millennium version of ‘Green Pastures’ could have the same kind of impact ‘Green Pastures’ had in it’s own day. Imagine Morgan Freeman, who began his career as a dancer, combining gravity and gracefulness just like the great Rex Ingram.

Cabin in the Sky (1943) THEN: Ethel Waters was the most powerful black female entertainer in Hollywood history and this was her most radiant role as Petunia, the faithful, loving wife of Eddie Rochester Anderson. Waters’ legendary battles with Hollywood executives resulted in high-standards for every film she made. Here Vincente Minnelli surrounds her with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, John Bubbles and Lena Horne in the most resplendent Hollywood musical ever shot in black and white.

NOW: The closest modern equivalent to Ethel Waters’s ‘Cabin in the Sky’ triumph would be Whoopi Goldberg and the powerful women in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 version of Alice Walker’s ‘The Color Purple.’ Jonathan Demme’s 1998 film of Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’ would be a close second. Each film has a similar combination of serious emotional striving and moments of musical transcendence.

Purlie Victorious (1963) THEN: Ossie Davis captured the exuberance and dedication of the Civil Rights Movement in this satire that laid to rest all Jim Crow stereotypes. Co-starring as a preacher and his sweetheart, Davis and Ruby Dee were stirring and utterly charming. They demonstrated how “being black is a thing of beauty”—almost a decade before James Brown’s declaration “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.”

NOW: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith are our biggest husband-and-wife acting team and their careers could receive no greater boost than remaking ‘Purlie Victorious’ (or even a film version of ‘Purlie,’ the 1970 Broadway musical version). They could bring Davis’ ideas of pride and perseverance back in vogue for the hip hop era.