By Alyssa Miller · February 14, 2024
Exploitation cinema has a strange yet important place in cinema history. These low-budget, high-risk films often challenged the conventional norms of the industry that decided what was suitable for mainstream theaters. That is precisely what the blaxploitation subgenre sought and achieved in the early 1970s by tackling controversial themes through artistic expression and challenging the conventional norms of mainstream cinema.
The rich and intricate history of blaxploitation in Hollywood originates from the desire of black filmmakers, actors, and audiences to witness their portrayal on screen in a manner that transcends the confines of victimhood within the pervasive white narrative. Today, we are diving into what blaxploitation cinema is, its long-lasting legacy, and ten films essential to the movement.
‘Cleopatra Jones’
Blaxploitation cinema is a movement of feature films focused on black stories crafted by black filmmakers for a predominantly black audience. These films emerged as a response to the marginalization of diverse voices in Hollywood during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
The term was coined in the early 1970s by Junius Griffin in The New York Times as a critique of the portrayal of black communities within the genre. However, not all members of the black community shared the NAACP’s perspective.
These films depicted black protagonists as stereotypical figures–such as pimps, pushers, prostitutes, or bounty hunters–while simultaneously exploring themes of empowerment. Other characteristics of the genre include:
Not all blaxploitation films embodied these characteristics since the genre was wide-sweeping and included genre-bending elements from horror, romance, musicals, westerns, and more.
Read More: Untold Stories: History Through the Eyes of Black Filmmakers
‘Blacula’
The 1960s marked a period of turbulence in Hollywood. The era of musicals and studio films, known as the Golden Age, was fading, and the film industry faced bankruptcy as it resisted change. Reluctantly to adapt, Hollywood began financing and distributing films produced by black filmmakers.
Melvin Van Peebles exploded onto the scene with his independently financed feature, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, a film he wrote, directed, produced, edited, and starred in. Before its April 1971 release, no film had depicted a black man successfully evading the police, challenging the system, and surviving in the end.
Melvin Van Peebles
Sweetback’s sexuality and taboo subject matter received an “X rating from an all-white jury,” a designation Van Peebles proudly embraced as a slogan and badge of honor. The success of exploitation and the newness of liberalism in the industry served as the foundation for the era of the blaxploitation genre. Gordon Parks’s Shaft further solidified the presence of the genre, building upon Sweetback‘s triumph.
A few months later, Shaft helped liberate the studio system with its iconic theme, intentional focus on the charismatic anti-hero John Shaft (Richard Roundtree), and authentic portrayal of urban life previously unseen in Hollywood cinema. Shaft revolutionized both the studio system and the tastes of American audiences.
Sweetback and Shaft were pivotal in a revolution that met a public demand Hollywood had deliberately overlooked.
‘Shaft’
The NAACP continued to voice strong concerns about the harmful portrayals of black characters throughout the rise of blaxploitation films.
In a climate of deep societal divisions and ongoing struggles for equality, the representation of black lives in cinema primarily through tropes of crime, sex, and violence by black voices was understandably deemed harmful and unhelpful.
The genre flourished throughout the 1970s, with nearly 200 films produced by 1976. Each release, often marketed by the film’s soundtrack album (a now-standard marketing tactic), brought an expectation. These stories resonated with black audiences eager to see characters triumphing over a rigged system.
However, backlash brewed as the NAACP and others criticized the genre for reinforcing harmful stereotypes. Eventually, audiences grew weary of the over-saturation of low-budget productions with predictable storylines. By the 1980s, the blaxploitation wave had crashed, leaving a complex legacy.
‘Car Wash’
Blaxploitation films carved out a vital space for black stories on screen. These films addressed the desire of black audiences to see themselves represented, both in tales of success and overcoming challenging journeys. They resonated with viewers due to their relatable narratives, even if the films were exploitative.
In the 1990s, filmmakers like Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, and John Singleton built upon the foundation of blaxploitation, crafting a “neo-blaxploitation” style. Neo-blaxploitation films pay homage to these classic films while also updating them for contemporary audiences by setting up stereotypes only to subvert them, allowing more diverse stories in the black community to take center stage.
Today, neo-blaxploitation continues to evolve with filmmakers like Juel Taylor, Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele, and Boots Riley as they blend the genre with sci-fi and horror to explore contemporary issues within black communities. While these films receive studio backing and enjoy critical acclaim, they retain the spirit of blaxploitation by telling stories that relate to a specific target audience.
Read More: Unpacking the Surreal Genius of the ‘Sorry to Bother You’ Screenplay
‘They Cloned Tyrone’
While blaxploitation is a widely spreading genre with far too many movies to categorize on a single list, here are ten blaxploitation films you should watch. While some are iconic to the genre and cinema as a whole, there might be a few gems that often get overlooked when discussing the iconic films of this period of filmmaking.
Often hailed as the inaugural blaxploitation film, Jules Dassin’s Uptight deeply unsettled audiences. Tracing the journey of a cohort of black militants amassing weapons in anticipation of a racial conflict, the film unflinchingly delved into the realities of contemporary black revolutionaries. Without hesitation, Uptight directly addressed the camera, illuminating the internal strife within the black community.
Although Uptight didn’t spark the blaxploitation surge, its role as a progenitor of the genre remains undeniable.
Ossie Davis’s Cotton Comes to Harlem reshaped perceptions with its distinctive style and portrayal of Harlem, a depiction unprecedented in Hollywood films prior. The narrative revolves around New York City police officers Gravedigger Jones (Godfrey Cambridge) and Coffin Ed Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques) as they investigate Reverend Deke O’Malley’s (Calvin Lockhart) long-term exploitation of Harlem’s residents.
While Cotton Comes to Harlem is frequently debated as a blaxploitation film, it also serves as a foundational piece for the genre, establishing many of its defining characteristics.
The legacy of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song cannot be overstated. Van Pebbles paints a gritty and provocative portrait of Sweetback (Van Pebbles), who, after witnessing police brutality, is forced to run for his life. The film utilizes humor, satire, and violence to deliver its allegory of the Black experience in America and celebrates black resistance.
Gordon Parks revolutionized cinema when he introduced John Shaft (Richard Roundtree), a suave black detective in Manhattan. Shaft follows the detective as he finds himself working with two unlikely groups to fight against an oppressive white mafia.
Featuring a cool hero who demands the camera’s attention, an iconic soundtrack, and social commentary laced throughout fast-paced action in a gritty urban setting, the film’s freshness sparked something within both filmmakers and audiences.
Gordon Parks Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps by directing one of the most well-known (and possibly most controversial) blaxploitation films of the era, Super Fly. The narrative centers on Youngblood Priest (Ron O’Neal), a smooth-talking drug dealer living a lavish lifestyle in New York City, as he endeavors to break free from the perilous underworld he is entrenched in by striking one “super” deal.
The film transcends pursuits of personal gain in Priest’s narrative arc; it serves as a testament to challenging societal norms and reclaiming autonomy. Despite Priest’s imperfections and occasional reinforcement of expected stereotypes, his aspirations strike a chord with the audience on a profound level.
Ivan Dixon’s adaptation of the novel of the same name traces the journey of Dan Freeman (Lawrence Cook), a once submissive CIA agent who transforms into a leader rallying black teenagers into a highly skilled guerrilla group to topple the white establishment. Initially driven by a desire to navigate the system through hard work while avoiding attention, Dan’s frustration with the lack of acknowledgment propels him towards more radical approaches.
The movie delves into themes of racial discord, entrenched racism, and the quest for black emancipation, portraying Dan’s adept manipulation and subversion of stereotypes to realize his objectives.
Jack Hill’s Coffy places female black narratives at the forefront of the blaxploitation era. When her sister falls victim to heroin addiction, Coffy (Pam Grier), a nurse, employs her sexuality to embark on a vengeful killing spree targeting those accountable for her sister’s agony and the deterioration of their community.
While Coffy adheres to the conventions of the blaxploitation genre, it shattered barriers as one of the initial films to showcase a resilient, multifaceted black female lead, paving the path for subsequent action heroines from diverse backgrounds.
Michael Campus’s The Mack holds a multifaceted legacy within the realm of cinema. Following a stint in prison consequent to a drug-related arrest, John “Goldie” Michens (Max Julien) resolves to carve out a more promising future for himself upon his return to Oakland. Solicited by a former acquaintance now engaged in sex work to provide protection, Goldie becomes embroiled in the realm of pimping, attracting unwelcome scrutiny in the process.
The film’s intricate and nuanced depiction of Goldie both conforms to and challenges prevalent stereotypes of its genre, delving into themes of masculinity, authority, and financial advancement through exploitation.
This genre bending film follows Diana Jackson (Jean Bell) follows a powerful gangster and his friends to Hong Kong to wage war after suspect they are behind her brother’s disappearance. Taking inspiration from Bruce Lee films, TNT Jackson blends blaxploitation elements with martial arts influences.
Although the low budget of TNT Jackson can easily be seen in the film’s visuals and action sequences, the film’s themes of black empowerment and anti-colonialism with a martial arts twists makes it a fun watch for any one interested in exploring more niche films of the genre.
Solomon King, directed by Sal Watts and Jack Bomay, garnered renewed attention following its 2022 restoration. While possessing characteristic elements of blaxploitation cinema, the film notably stands apart by venturing beyond the localized community narrative, tackling international issues like the 1970s oil crisis.
Though not strictly adhering to traditional blaxploitation conventions, Solomon King exemplifies the genre’s inherent flexibility and hints at its potential evolution.
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