Conceived and directed by its star, Melvin Van Peebles, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" (1971) is a controversial and landmark classic of Black Cinema and independent filmmaking. It was the highest grossing indie of 1971 (out-performing Love Story) and is justly credited with kick-starting the Blaxploitation genre. Over 30 years after its release, Melvin's son Mario Van Peebles re-told the story of its making in Baadasssss! (2003).
In 1971, when most scripts portrayed African Americans as helpless slaves or "super-Negroes", Melvin pitched to Hollywood a celebration of urban black power - the story of a black street hustler turned revolutionary who goes on the run after killing two racist cops. Hollywood wasn't ready, but Melvin wasn't in the mood to give up easily. Working on a shoestring budget, he shot the film in 19 days. In order to secure a multi-ethnic crew and dodge the all-white unions, he disguised the production as a porn flick. He persuaded a young band looking for a break, Earth, Wind & Fire, to record a soundtrack.
Street hustler Sweetback, the film's star, has learned the ways of the world through being brought up in a brothel and earned his name through his legendary sexual prowess, cementing his reputation night after night to an audience of hopheads and hipsters hungry for spectacle. One night on a routine cover-up job with two crooked cops, Sweetback watches a young black man get beaten within an inch of his life and decides to fight back. His actions set in motion a journey through the dark heart of 1970s urban America, encountering motorcycle gangs, Black Power militants, fascist public officials and a torrent of insatiable women every step of the way.
The film has a distinctive gritty style in keeping with the independent spirit of the times, combining the streetwise realism of Paul Morrissey with the sexual hysteria of Russ Meyer. A brash depiction of urban African American life previously unseen on the screen, its political resonance was confirmed in the Black Panthers' vocal acclaim of the film as a "revolutionary masterpiece". It sparked the birth of independent Black Cinema and has been cited as inspiration by directors such as Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino.
NB - In order to comply with UK law (the Protection of Children Act 1978), a number of images in the opening sequence of the film have been obscured. (Verlagstext)
Verfasser*innenangabe:
a film by Melvin van Peebles
Jahr:
Film von 1971
Verlag:
bfi Video
Enthaltene Werke:
The real deal - 30 minute documentary on Melvin Van Peebles' life as a filmmaker
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Altersfreigabe:
18
Beschreibung:
97 Min.
Schlagwörter:
Film, USA, Englisch, Sprache, Amerika (USA), EEUU (Abkürzung), Estados Unidos de America, Etats Unis, Etats-Unis, Filmaufnahme, Filme, Kino <Film>, Meiguo, Nordamerika <USA>, Spielfilm, Spielfilme, US (Abkürzung), United States, United States of America, Vereinigte Staaten, Vereinigte Staaten von Nordamerika, Britisches Englisch, Englische Sprache, Sprachen
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Sprache:
Englisch
Abweichender Titel:
Sweet sweetbacks badass song
Fußnote:
Sprache: Englisch.
Mediengruppe:
DVD