As a young child growing up in Brooklyn in the early 70s, my love for movies was undeniable. Every day, as I made my way to school, I couldn't resist taking a detour to pass by the Rugby Theater, conveniently located near my elementary school. The allure of this theater was irresistible to me, as its walls were adorned with captivating movie posters. However, I soon realized that most of these posters were for films, strictly intended for viewers over 18 years old.
These posters showcased films like "Shaft", "Uptown Saturday Night", and "Cotton Comes to Harlem" which caught my attention. These stories featured characters who looked just like the people I encountered in my everyday life. It was as if their journeys mirrored those of individuals from my family and community. From that moment on, I knew that these movies had the power to connect me with characters who resonated with my own experiences. The heroes on screen became familiar to me, teaching me valuable lessons about the unfair treatment of people who showed courage, resilience, and the pursuit of justice. I would later learn that these movies were categorized in a new genre to be known as BLAXPLOITATION.
Blaxploitation movies are a group of films that emerged in the early to mid-1970s, featuring Black actors in leading roles and often dealing with themes of urban crime, racism, and social injustice. The term “BLAXPLOITATION” combines “Black” and “exploitation”, implying that these films exploited the Black audience’s desire to see themselves represented on screen, while also offering cheap entertainment with sensationalized violence, sex, and drugs. Some critics and activists denounced blaxploitation movies as stereotypical, negative, and harmful to the Black community, while others praised them as empowering, authentic, and revolutionary.
The origins of blaxploitation movies can be traced back to the late 1960s, when the civil rights movement, the Black Power movement, and the Vietnam War sparked social unrest and political activism among Black Americans. The mainstream Hollywood film industry, which was dominated by white filmmakers and executives, failed to address the issues and aspirations of the Black audience, who were largely ignored or marginalized in mainstream cinema. In response, some independent Black filmmakers, such as Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis, began to make films that reflected the Black experience, culture, and identity, using low budgets, guerrilla filmmaking techniques, and non-professional actors. These films, such as Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, directed by Melvin Van Peebles (1971), Shaft directed by Gordon Parks (1971), and Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) directed by Ossie Davis, were among the first to feature Black heroes, villains, and antiheroes, who fought against oppression, corruption, and injustice, using their fists, guns, and wits.
The success of these films at the box office, especially among Black urban audiences, attracted the attention of major Hollywood studios, who saw an opportunity to tap into a lucrative market. They began to produce and distribute more blaxploitation movies, often hiring Black directors, writers, and actors, but also imposing creative and financial constraints, such as formulaic plots, low production values, and tight deadlines. Some of the most popular and influential blaxploitation movies of this period include Super Fly (1972), The Mack (1973), Foxy Brown (1974), Coffy (1973), and Black Caesar (1973). These films featured charismatic and iconic stars, such as Richard Roundtree, Pam Grier, Ron O’Neal, Max Julien, Richard Pryor, and Fred Williamson, who became role models and symbols of Black pride, and power. They also showcased original and innovative soundtracks, composed, and performed by Black musicians, such as Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, and Marvin Gaye, who blended soul, funk, jazz, and R&B, creating a distinctive and influential musical style.
The popularity of blaxploitation movies peaked in the mid-1970s, but declined by the end of the decade, due to several factors, such as over-saturation, repetition, censorship, competition, and criticism. The market for blaxploitation movies became flooded with low-quality and derivative films, that copied the same themes, characters, and scenes, without adding anything new or original. The films also faced increasing pressure from the government, the media, and the public, who objected to the graphic depiction of violence, sex, and drugs, and the glorification of criminal and anti-social behavior. The films also faced competition from other genres and trends, such as disco, martial arts, and sci-fi, that appealed to a wider and more diverse audience. The films also faced criticism from some Black filmmakers, actors, critics, and activists, who accused the films of reinforcing negative stereotypes, such as the pimp, the prostitute, the gangster, and the drug dealer, and of exploiting the Black audience, rather than educating or empowering them. Some of these critics, such as Spike Lee, John Singleton, and Julie Dash, went on to make their films, that challenged and subverted the conventions and expectations of blaxploitation movies and offered more nuanced and complex representations of Black characters and communities.
Blaxploitation movies have left a lasting mark and influence on American cinema and culture, despite their disputed and controversial legacy. They have shaped and inspired many filmmakers, actors, and musicians, such as Quentin Tarantino, Samuel L. Jackson, Snoop Dogg, and hip-hop culture. They have also been recognized and preserved by film festivals, museums, and archives, such as the American Film Institute, the Museum of Modern Art, and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. It has been researched and reviewed by scholars, critics, and fans, who have explored their historical, cultural, and aesthetic importance, and their connection and relevance for contemporary audiences.
Some of the most well-known directors in blaxploitation cinema are:
Melvin Van Peebles: He is considered the pioneer and godfather of blaxploitation movies, as he wrote, directed, produced, scored, and starred in the independent film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971), which was a huge commercial and cultural success, and inspired many other filmmakers to follow his example. He also directed other films, such as Watermelon Man (1970), Don’t Play Us Cheap (1973), and Identity Crisis (1989).
Gordon Parks: He was a renowned photographer, writer, composer, and filmmaker, who directed the first major Hollywood studio film with a Black director and a Black cast, The Learning Tree (1969), based on his autobiographical novel. He also directed the first and most successful blaxploitation movie, Shaft (1971), which featured the iconic character of John Shaft, a cool and tough private detective, played by Richard Roundtree. He also directed the sequel, Shaft’s Big Score (1972), and other films, such as The Super Cops (1974), Leadbelly (1976), and Solomon Northup’s Odyssey (1984).
Jack Hill: He was a prolific and influential director of exploitation movies, who worked with Pam Grier, the queen of blaxploitation, in four films: The Big Bird Cage (1972), The Big Doll House (1971), Coffy (1973), and Foxy Brown (1974). He also directed other films, such as Spider Baby (1967), Pit Stop (1969), Switchblade Sisters (1975), and Sorceress (1982).
Ossie Davis: He was a distinguished stage and screen actor, writer, and activist, who directed several blaxploitation movies, such as Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), based on the novel by Chester Himes, featuring the detectives Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson, played by Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques. He also directed Black Girl (1972), Gordon’s War (1973), and Countdown at Kusini (1976)
No blaxploitation movie has ever won an Oscar, although some of them were nominated or had elements that were nominated:
Shaft (1971): This film was nominated for two Oscars, Best Music, Original Dramatic Score, and Best Music, Original Song, for the iconic theme song composed and performed by Isaac Hayes. It won the latter, making Hayes the first Black composer to win an Oscar for a film score.
Lady Sings the Blues (1972): This film was a biographical drama about the life and career of jazz singer Billie Holiday, played by Diana Ross. It was nominated for five Oscars, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation, and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced. However, it did not win any.
Sounder (1972): This film was a family drama about a Black sharecropper family in Louisiana during the Great Depression, based on the novel by William H. Armstrong. It was nominated for four Oscars, Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. However, it did not win any of them.
Super Fly (1972): The soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield was nominated for Best Music, Original Song Score, and/or Adaptation, but did not win.
Claudine (1974): The song "On and On" by Curtis Mayfield and Gladys Knight & the Pips was nominated for Best Music, Original Song, but did not win.
Uptown Saturday Night (1974): The song "Let’s Do It Again" by Curtis Mayfield and The Staple Singers was nominated for Best Music, Original Song, but did not win.
Car Wash (1976): The song "Car Wash" by Norman Whitfield and Rose Royce was nominated for Best Music, Original Song, but did not win
In conclusion, Blaxploitation cinema is not just a genre, but a movement, a culture, and a legacy, that has left a lasting mark and influence on me as well as American cinema and culture. When I look back on it all I find satisfaction in being a part of the audience when it all started. So, grab your popcorn, find a cozy spot, and let the magic of BLAXPLOITATION cinema unfold before your eyes. Let's celebrate the power of black storytelling and the joy it brought to my young life.
Lights, camera, Blaction!