Baaaad Assss!

I mainly wanted to see Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song because I wanted to see Mario Van Peebles' Baadasssss!, about how his father made Sweetback. OK, so that goes on my queue.

What can I say about the first blaxploitation film? Melvin Van Peebles plays Sweet Sweetback, a laconic sex performer whose got a sex machine ... wait, start again. Sex god Sweetback takes on the Man when the cops start to beat up a young black radical. He's on the run with only his legs and his superpower to see him safe. His superpower, like his legs, is in his pants. It gets him in with the white chick motorcycle gangleader, Prez, for ex.

The film is shot in a totally verite style - it looked a lot like a home movie. Tons of LA locations, random people on the street. The camera goes in and out of focus, and scenes are solarized or shown in negative for artistic/psychedelic effect. But in general, Van Peebles (who wrote, directed, produced, edited, and everything else, I guess) makes Coleman Francis look like Orson Wells. The motorcycle gang scenes are particularly reminiscent of the Russ Hagen trilogy.

But the film is so full of soul, I wouldn't have it any other way.

In conclusion: For everyone who is tired of the Man.