Shaft

Shaft (1971)

John Shaft is the best and toughest detective in all of Harlem. That is why the local crime boss, Bumpy Jonas, hires him to find out who kidnapped his daughter. But what Shaft doesn’t know is that Bumpy knows who has his daughter and is using Shaft in an attempt to get her back. See the mob has decided to move in on Harlem and have kidnapped the girl to force Bumpy out of the picture. The only man crazy enough and tough enough to take on the mobsters is Shaft, which is why Bumpy manipulates him into doing so. But even after he figures it out, Shaft still finishes the job. The money is just that good!

Okay so anyone that knows anything about Blaxsploitation movies is already aware that this is one of the classics of the subgenre of exploitation movies. The story is very basic and is really nothing more than a rehash of the hard boiled detective stories of the 20s and 30s with a more hip and urban flavor to it. But that simple and familiar plot is strength because it allows the movie to jump right into the story and characters, which are awesome. Things unfold quickly and engage the audience, without trying to be too clever or confusing. This makes Shaft a fun and entertaining movie watching experience with something cool always happening on screen. Speaking of cool, does it get any better than Richard Roundtree? Not only is he a great actor with serious screen presence, but he also is one cool dude that brings an attitude to the Shaft character that no one else ever could. Toss in the terribly underrated Moses Gunn and you have a couple of very strong actors that help to carry the movie.

I love the locations in New York City, which in the 70s was almost like having another familiar face in the cast. Really I can’t explain why, but there is just something so great about seeing a movie shot on the streets of New York. Watch closely and you can even see that many of the “extras” walking around in the background aren’t even aware that a movie is being shot, which gives the whole thing a real guerilla filmmaking feel to it, which I dig a lot. I also love the visual style and look of the movie, which I think should be credited to the director, Gordon Parks, who if you aren’t aware was a great photographer. The visual style to Shaft is only second to the musical style, which of course brings us to the late great Issac Hayes, who is responsible for one of the most iconic soundtracks of any movie.

Great cast, wonderful director with his own visual style, and one of the best soundtracks ever makes Shaft a must see for anyone who considers themselves a fan of movies. Sure the movie really kicked off a few years of great Blaxsploitation movies, but it is so much more than that. It doesn’t matter if you like those movies or not this is an important film made by some very talented artists. I can’t recommend Shaft enough; it really is a classic movie.

4 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer