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The 1970s brought many welcome changes to the American movie industry: a new realism brought about by the demise of the movie code, an increased role for the director and a willingness on the part of the studio system to invest in good films.
The 70s also witnessed the arrival of a new voice previously unheard in American cinema: that of the African American. And no movie helped to usher in this voice any more than Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.
Novelist Melvin Van Peebles (father of the current actor Mario, who appears in the film and recently released his own film about Sweetback) directed, wrote, scored, edited and starred in the 1971 classic. It was the first major film to come out of the black community, and in it Peebles attempts to capture all the rage of the civil rights movement.
Made in the early days of the ratings system it was rated X (as was another classic - Midnight Cowboy) not because it was pornographic – the X rating only later came to have that connotation – but because Van Peebles refused to submit the film to the MPAA (in fact, the ratings for both films were later revised downward to an R). Using even this to his advantage, though, Peebles labeled the rating a badge of honor, touting the film as “rated X by an all-white jury.” It was a box office hit.
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The film’s plot involves a taciturn black man named Sweet Sweetback whom the “establishment” hunts after he kills two white cops for brutalizing a civil rights activist named Mu-Mu. On Sweet’s run to Mexico, Peebles uses the camera to explore the world of the inner city black man in Los Angeles. Corrupt cops, poverty and the life of the ghetto are all shown with uncompromising clarity.
The film is quite stark and raw, and employs a documentary style. The opening lines, in fact, are meant to illustrate what Peebles had in mind when making this film: “…these lines are not an homage to brutality that the artist has invented, but a hymn from the mouth of reality….” Every movie should strive to live up to this creed, and critics like Michael Medved should ponder it whenever tempted to write some silly drivel about how Hollywood is trying to corrupt America.
This film left quite an impact upon American filmmaking. While it is a bit too socially conscious to be called “blaxploitation,” one may easily see how Sweetback inspired that genre of film. Indeed, many indeed claim the controversial genre begins with this film, although Van Peebles does not agree. In any case, the sexually potent black male, the corrupt cops trying to brutalize him and the undercurrent of support by the black community – staples of blaxploitation films – are all present in Sweetback.
Sweetback was also influential in the black community of the early 70s. Its production was completely the result of efforts by African Americans, including family-friendly comedian Bill Cosby, who put up money to help create the film (Another source of financing was the Directors Guild - they rewarded Peebles compensation for harm on the job after he contracted gonorrhea from one of the actresses while filming of one of the sex scenes). It was so powerful, in fact, that the Black Panthers mandated its viewing for all their members. Very few films have this kind of social significance.
While Sweetback may be flawed in some areas – it is overly long, a bit pretentious and the acting isn’t the best – it definitely is worth watching for its aforementioned depth of impact as well as an unbelievable toilet scene. And on top of this, it is simply an entertaining film which will make you cheer for the triumph of the underdog.
