Newt is a young man who tries to adhere to morals, although upset by the racial injustice of the day. When adversity occurs, he tries to act with dignity: when he and his friends steal from Jake Kiner, he attempts to make amends by working for him pro bono; when Chauncey Cavanaugh takes a liking to Newt's girlfriend Arcella, he does his best to protect her and ultimately he comes to term with his loss without showing aggression; he tells the truth in the Kiner murder trial, even though it exposes Booker Savage as the killer and African Americans are subsequently shown in an unfavorable light. Newt's determination to act ethically is a reflection of his moral character. In contrast, Marcus is a young man who is also upset by the racial injustice of the day, but retaliates with violence. His rocky relationship with his father, Booker, does not help his psyche and predisposes him to violence. In the case of Marcus, he begins to embody violence, specifically when he beats Kiner and attempts to murder Newt for sending both him and his father to jail. Soundtrack Gordon Parks composed and wrote the following score for The Learning Tree: The Learning Tree – Main Title, sung by O.C. Smith The Storm To Calm Bluebird The Swimming Hole Concerto (Arcella's Theme) Birthday Present Chorale (The Learning Tree) Poor Tuck Questions & Answers My Baby's Gone (feat. Jimmy Rushing) The Fight Confrontation (feat. Kyle Johnson & Joel Fluellen) Hymn – End Title New York Times reviewer Roger Greenspun praised the film's score in his review, saying that the music "telegraphs and then drains each crisis". Reception When The Learning Tree premiered at the Trans-Lux Theater in New York City on August 6, 1969, it was well-received by critics. Roger Greenspun commented in his review that the scenes in the film took on a "kind of ceremonial vitality and lifelikeness". Parks and Guffey's strong attention to detail helped to make this film beloved and well-remembered to the American public. The Learning Tree was one of the first 25 films to be listed on National Film Registry when the registry was created in 1989. See also List of American films of 1969 Nadir of American race relations References External links The Learning Tree essay by Maurice Berger on the National Film Registry website Film Notes from New York State Writer's Institute The Learning Tree