After the Civil Rights Movement, blacks in film began to appear more frequently, although not very often.
Blaxploitation is a film genre that emerged in the early 1970s when many exploitation films were made that targeted the urban black audience; the word itself is a
portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation."
Characteristics of Blaxploitation films:
- Story uses the urban ghetto as a locale for its setting
- Often includes such characters as: pimps, hit men, drug dealers, the ho, etc.
- White characters are often antagonists: corrupt cops, evil politicians, easily fooled organized crime goons, etc.
- Characters are often stereotypes
- Black music (hip hop, rap, jazz, R&B, funk, blues, etc.) is used as a score
- Black actors play primary and protagonist roles
Popular genres of Blaxploitation films include:
Crime (
Foxy Brown), action (
Three the Hard Way), horror (
Abby,
Blacula), comedy (
Uptown Saturday Night), nostalgia (
Five on the Black Hand Side), coming-of-age/courtroom drama (
Cornbread,
Earl and Me), and musical (
The Wiz,
Sparkle).
Here is a list of clips for your viewing pleasure:
They Call Me MISTER Tibbs (1970) (Sidney Poitier) - sequel to
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) directed by Ossie Davis
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) starring Melvin Van Peebles - considered (with Shaft) to have created the Blaxploitation cycle.
Shaft (1971) Directed by Gordon Parks; starring Richard Roundtree
The popularity of this film spawned these sequels:
Shaft's Big Score (1972)
Shaft in Africa (1973)
And a remake in 2000,
Shaft 2000
Also by Gordon Parks:
Superfly (1972)
Blacula (1972) directed by William Crain
And its sequel:
Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973)
And because Dracula was lonely:
Blackenstein (1973)
Abby (influenced by
The Exorcist (William Freidkin, 1973) - 1974)
Female protagonists:
Cleopatra Jones (1973) starring Tamara Dobson and its sequel for all the sistahs:
Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975)
Coffy (1974) starring Pam Grier
These exploitation films were influenced by lesbian exploitation films (also prison exploitation films):
Black Mama, White Mama (1972)
Sugar Hill (1974)
Dolemite (1975)
Ralph Bakshi's
Coonskin (1975) Bakshi is not black, but many white filmmakers took advantage of reaching a black audience in their films. Contemporary directors do the same thing, as Quintin Tarantino can testify.
Musicals:
Sparkle (1976) Musicals like this also included such popular titles as
the Wiz (1978)
The Wiz (1978) (Starring Diana Ross and little Michael Jackson)
Later in the 1980's until the present, blaxploitation film style has been parodied:
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka! (1988)
Jackie Brown (directed by Quentin Tarantino) 1997
Pootie Tang (2000)
Directors like
Spike Lee are encouraged to make films for a black audience. Many other actors, directors, and writers begin expanding the ground opened by blaxploitation.
Other critically acclaimed films:
The 100 Best Black Movies (trailer)
HOMEWORK: Study this material for your upcoming test.
