Shaft (1971)

Now the time has come to talk about the Shaft movies. Let’s get started this month with the 1971 movie, “Shaft.” Nearly every frame of “Shaft” is aimed at doing one thing: establishing its protagonist – private detective John Shaft – as a powerful, independent, naturally good yet still mischievous man in complete control of his own destiny. How does it differ from the countless other heroes who came before? Well, Shaft is black and this is 1971.

Josh Larsen stated in his review, “A launching point for the blaxploitation era, Shaft literally worships its central figure (played with an easy smile and an easier scowl by Richard Roundtree).” Isaac Hayes’ Oscar-winning title song sings Shaft’s praises during the opening credits. When he walks across six lanes of New York City traffic, the cars give him the right of way. The first love scene barely notices the woman Shaft’s with: it’s Shaft who poses bare on the couch. It’s Shaft’s (much darker) skin that the camera remains on. It’s a framed photo of Shaft that the camera drifts toward as the couple goes and does his business.

This hero worship introduces even the smallest moments. Take a look at an early scene where Shaft is having his shoes shined. Director Gordon Parks angles his camera so that it’s looking up from below, in respect, as if Shaft were sitting on his throne. Larsen says, “When he gets up to leave, the camera eagerly rises with him in the manner of a nervous bow. Long live the king.”

You could blame the movie of protesting too much if you didn’t take into account the time period which the film was released. Having a black man as the hero of a major studio release was one thing. Giving him this much arrogance was quite another. Larsen admits, “Shaft‘s brilliance is in the way its title figure’s confidence became contagious – both in the urban theaters where it was a hit and the dozens of blaxploitation films that would follow (to say nothing of the work of Quentin Tarantino). I am Shaft, a new voice in cinema announced, hear me roar.”

Outside of this electric shock of independence, the movie follows a fairly conventional noir plot. Shaft is hired by local mob boss Bumpy Jonas (Moses Gunn) to find Bumpy’s kidnapped daughter (Sherri Brewer) – though not until Shaft has made it clear that he despises everything Bumpy stands for (he throws one of Bumpy’s men out the window to get the message across). Similarly, the case brings him in contact with a Black Panther-like rebellious group that he also taunts at. Shaft serves no cause but his own.

Even so, he ultimately becomes a uniting force, bringing both of these sections together to face a new enemy threatening the neighborhood: the Italian mafia. This is where the movie’s enlightenment ends, as well as it offensive headiness. The final third follows a well-worn action pattern, with Shaft, of course, taking the lead.

Still, the movie lingers, especially in its influence. The film’s final shot is of Shaft walking alone down the street, suggesting a bookend of sorts with the walk he took over the opening credits. Larsen mentioned, “On that earlier stroll, he passes movie marquees boasting names like Robert Redford and Dean Martin.” Shaft walks right on by, leaving such square stars behind. He’s taking us into a whole new period.

This is definitely one of the movies you have to see, it's one of the best. If you haven’t seen this movie, you are missing out. Check it out when you get the chance because you will love it. I highly recommend you watch “Shaft.” Stay tuned next week for the first sequel in “Shaft month.”