Ebert, the film's release was "spotty" and little money was available for its promotion. The film was mostly shown at theaters specializing in independent and foreign films. Ebert has suggested that it failed to find a wider audience because it did not "[employ] the easy liberal pieties of its period in an attempt to reassure white audiences that all stories have happy endings." As a result, the film became, in Ebert's words, "more famous than familiar" and as of the early 1990s, few people had seen it. In 1993, a restored print of the film was nationally re-released, bringing it to the attention of a wider audience. It was later released on DVD in 2004. The film has received many excellent reviews and as of 2022, had a 98% fresh rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes from 44 critics. A Washington Post review at the time of the film's 1993 re-release called it "one of the most sensitive films about black life ever made in this country". Ivan Dixon's performance in the film has been called the best of his career. Honors and awards In 1964, Nothing but a Man won the San Giorgio Prize at the Venice Film Festival, awarded to films considered especially important for the progress of civilization. The film was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1993. Soundtrack The soundtrack to the film was put together by Wilbur Kirk. It uses many early 1960s hit songs released by Motown Records; it was the label's first original soundtrack recording. Motown released an original soundtrack album for the film on CD in 1996. Track Listing "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave" – Martha & The Vandellas "Fingertips (Pt. II)" – Little Stevie Wonder "That's the Way I Feel" – The Miracles "Come on Home" – Holland & Dozier "This Is When I Need You Most" – Martha & The Vandellas "I'll Try Something New" – The Miracles "Way Over There" – The Marvelettes "Mickey's Monkey" – The Miracles "You Beat Me to the Punch" – Mary Wells "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" (live) – The Miracles "Bye Bye Baby" (live) – Mary Wells Adaptations A novelization of the film by noted pulp crime writer Jim Thompson was published in 1970. See also List of American films of 1964 Civil rights movement R&B music References External links 1964 drama films