What It Is: Melvin Van Peebles' classic indy flick that basically started the blaxploitation genre.Why I Watched It: It's a classic piece of film history.
What I Thought: Awe inspiring.
The film, considered by many to be the origin of black film making, begins with a simple dedication: "This film is dedicated to all the Brothers and Sisters who have had enough of the Man."
That's exactly what Sweet Sweetback is about. Sweetback is a brother in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the white cops begin hassling him, he decides he's just not going to take it anymore. In Melvin Van Peebles' own words, it's "about a brother getting the Man's foot out of his ass."
The film was a surprisingly huge box office success and it's revenue was due almost entirely to the black community alone. Peebles put it best, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song made a zillion dollars before four white people had ever seen it." The film grossed $4,100,000 at the box office, encouraging a predominantly white Hollywood to begin paying a little more attention to black audiences.
When Van Peebles sat down to write the film, he came up with a list of things to consider. The first three were most important:
1. "No Cop Out" - He wanted to tell it like it is, without pulling punches.
2. "Must Look As Good As Anything Chuck Ever Did" - Chuck means whitey.
3. "Entertainment-Wise, a Mother Fucker" - I think he succeeded.
Watch the fucking movie! The movie is rough and raw, but also very real. Don't expect Hollywood gloss and happy endings, but take a little glance at true film history!
Dig This: "They bled your brother... they bled your sister... But they won't bleed me!"
Who Should See It: Blaxploitation fans, film history buffs, and anyone that wants to stick it to The Man!
How Soon: Grab the DVD when you're ready for something unusual.
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