Shaft (1971)

Director: Gordon Parks
Starring: Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi

Synopsis:
Private detective John Shaft agrees to look for a mobster's daughter and gets caught up in a gang war.

Impressions:
While not the first blaxploitation film, this is the one that gets most commonly associated with subgenre and set the standard by which other blaxploitation films are judged. Richard Roundtree makes a strong showing in his first big film role. I particularly liked the interplay between Shaft and Vic. Moses Gunn was also pretty good as the mob boss Bumpy Jonas. The main feature for many is the score by Isaac Hayes, particularly the main theme, which netted him an Oscar. I personally find it amusing that "the cat who won't cop out when there's danger all about" spends a lot of time slinking around, but I suppose discretion is the better part of valor. Actually, I rather like that Shaft tends to use his wits more than brute force. It's a pretty enjoyable movie in its own right and if you have any interest in blaxploitation, it's a must-see. Give a watch.

Rating:
Watch It