Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Melvin Van Peebles

Writer:

Melvin Van Peebles (written by)

Release Date:

23 October 1993 (Japan)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The Film that THE MAN doesn't want you to see!

Plot:

After saving a Black Panther from some racist cops, a black prostitute goes on the run from "the man" with the help of the ghetto community and some disillusioned Hells Angels.

Plot Keywords:

Black Man | Run | On The Run | Hell's Angels | Police

Cast

Simon Chuckster	...	Beetle
Melvin Van Peebles	...	Sweetback
Hubert Scales	...	Mu-Mu
John Dullaghan	...	Commissioner
West Gale
Niva Rochelle
Rhetta Hughes	...	Old Girl Friend
Nick Ferrari
Ed Rue
John Amos	...	Biker (as Johnny Amos)
Lavelle Roby
Ted Hayden
Mario Van Peebles	...	Young Sweetback / Kid (as Mario Peebles)
Sonja Dunson
Michael Augustus
Peter Russell
Norman Fields
Ron Prince
Steve Cole
Megan Van Peebles	...	Kid (as Megan Peebles)
Joe Tornatore
Mike Angel
Jeff Goodman
Curt Matson
Marria Evonee
Jon Jacobs
Bill Kirschner
Vincent Barbi
Chet Norris
Joni Watkins
Jerry Days
John Allen
Bruce Adams
Brer Soul
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edson C. Kurose	...	Coronor (as Ed Kurose)
Max Van Peebles	...	Young Sweetback
Maggie Bembry	...	Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Melvin Van Peebles

Writing credits
Melvin Van Peebles		(written by)

Produced by
Jerry Gross	....	producer
Melvin Van Peebles	....	producer

Original Music by
Earth Wind & Fire
Melvin Van Peebles

Cinematography by
Robert Maxwell		(as Bob Maxwell)

Film Editing by
Melvin Van Peebles

Makeup Department
Nora Maxwell	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Clyde Houston	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
José García	....	second unit director
Clyde Houston	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John H. Newman	....	sound editor
Arthur Piantadosi	....	dubbing sound
Clark Will	....	sound
Luke Wolfram	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Cliff Wenger	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Jose Garcia	....	camera operator
Robert Maxwell	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Jeremy Hoenack	....	assistant editor
J.F. Kinyon	....	archival editorial services (uncredited)

Other crew
Chic Borland	....	production assistant
Skip Karnas	....	production assistant
Winfred Tennison	....	production assistant
Priscilla Watts	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Yeah

Distributors

• Cinemation Industries (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• New World Pictures (1974) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Criterion Collection, The (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Xenon Entertainment Group (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Miracle Voice (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Prima Film (????) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Direct Cinema Limited (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Magnum Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Sun Video Corporation (SVC) (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Xenon Pictures (1996) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R (1974) | USA:X (1971) | Canada:(Banned) (Nova Scotia) | New Zealand:R18 | UK:18 | Canada:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Yeah

Trivia:

Mario Van Peebles's film debut.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: It Conquered the World (#4.11)" (1991)

One of the worst films ever made!

This is quite possibly the worst film ever made! The story behind the production and the intentions of Peebles may be inspiring, but the movie sure ain't. Sure, the backbone of it was a seriously slap in the face for the oppressive end of the white establishment which still resonates today - and rightly so. But the significant message this movie was conceived to communicate is utterly lost in an unbearably sloppy 90 minute montage of violence, running and f**king. As if that weren't poor taste enough, we even get to watch a guy taking a dump wearing only a towel - lovely.

I have no moral objection to the film, but cannot get past the fact that it is utterly incoherent from start to finish. The plot is almost non-existent, and only about a third of the screen time has anything to do with the 'story' anyway. There are random scenes that have no apparent meaning or significance whatsoever.

It looks dreadful, as if the cameraman was on speed and crack at the same time. Beyond this, the night sequences (which make up a large percentage of the film) are so dark that you literally cannot see a thing. Alas, that may be just as well, as it goes some small way to detracting from the mind-blowingly poor 'acting'. Sweetback himself just pouts and minces about, and he's the best 'character' in there. The sound is awful, often with two songs (the same two songs on a continuous loop) literally playing on top of each other.

I really wanted to like this movie, and I still acknowledge it as a milestone in American culture and social history. As a side note, it was not the first blaxploitation film as is popularly believed - Cotton Comes to Harlem was a year earlier. That said, technically Sweetback isn't a blaxploitation film at all as it was financed and produced entirely by a black man. Moot point really, but worth mentioning.

In case my point has been lost, let me recapitulate. Sweet Sweetback has to be one of the very worst films I have ever seen in my life. As a piece of cinema, there is absolutely nothing redeeming about it whatsoever.

Approach this as a documentation of the shift in (black) American social consciousness as it related to popular culture of the late '60s and early '70s. Otherwise avoid it altogether, you'll thank me later.