List of films about blues music explained

Films dealing with blues history or prominently featuring blues music as a theme include:

• St. Louis Blues (1929): the only short movie with Bessie Smith
• Blues in the Night (1941)
• Two Girls and a Sailor (1944)
• A Face in the Crowd (1957)
• Sounder (1972)
• Lady Sings The Blues (1972): about Billie Holiday
• Leadbelly (1976): biographical film about Huddie William Ledbetter
• The Blues Brothers (1980)
• Streets of Fire (1984)
• Crossroads (1986): directed by Walter Hill, about a "deal with the devil", with a soundtrack by Ry Cooder and a guitar duel between Ralph Macchio and Steve Vai
• Mo' Better Blues (1990)
• The Search for Robert Johnson (1991): documentary aiming to discover facts and myths about the infamous blues guitarist
• Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
• O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
• Ghost World (2001)
• Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads (2003)
• Last of the Mississippi Jukes (2003)
• The Blues, a Musical Journey (2003): Martin Scorsese produced seven documentaries about the blues:
  • Feel Like Going Home (Martin Scorsese): about the African origins of the blues^[1]
    • • The Soul of a Man (Wim Wenders): about Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson and J. B. Lenoir The Road to Memphis (Richard Pearce) : focuses on B. B. King's contributions
  • Warming by the Devil's Fire (Charles Burnett): fiction on a blues-based theme
  • Godfathers and Sons (Marc Levin): about Chicago blues and hip-hop
  • Red, White & Blues (Mike Figgis): about British blues-influenced music (e.g., Tom Jones, Van Morrison)
  • Piano Blues (Clint Eastwood): focuses on blues pianists such as Ray Charles and Dr. John
• Ray (2004)
• Richard Johnston: Hill Country Troubadour (2005): Max Shores documentary about R. L. Burnside, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Junior Kimbrough, Richard Johnston, and other north Mississippi hill country blues musicians
• You See Me Laughin' (2005): directed by Mandy Stein, documentary that takes a look at the often untamed lifestyles of the last great North Mississippi bluesmen and the Oxford, Mississippi–based label (Fat Possum Records) that struggles to record them
• Black Snake Moan (2007)
• Honeydripper (2007)
• Cadillac Records (2008)
• Who Do You Love? (2008)
• Bessie (2015)
• Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

Notes and References

1. Web site: 12 Must-Watch Blues Documentaries: Explore the Roots and Evolution of Blues Music . 2024-11-14 . Factual America Podcast . en-GB.