What is the plot - in one sentence? A black private Detective, John Shaft, is tasked with recovering the kidnapped daughter of a local gangster.
I don't have time, just spoil it for me? For various reasons, the daughter was kidnapped by Mafia hoods, and John Shaft and a gang of black power militia get in and recover the gal before sauntering off into the night.
What is the meaning of the title? His name is shaft. It's also a double entendre, and that's alllll right.
Anything that's not aged well? Does a woman get slapped around? From what I understand, this was one of the first private detective movies which focused on a black detective and the black community. It's aged reasonably well, though it's VERY of its time. It has some of the most bizarre hats in cinema history. For a thing about a black detective up against the mafia in the 70s, it's surprisingly restrained.
Any thoughts? It's very of it's time. It also makes New York look like a blast to be in. Bars, clubs, and shots of him walking around shows that the city had a real vibe and danger to it. There are gays, stoned people, mafia hoods lumbering around. It looks great. The only thing that really seems to tip it into cliche is the presence, like it in every movie of this time, of Black Panther stand-ins - they help him in the final siege - but that's a contemporary issue.
Aside from Shaft himself quipping and chuckling at his jokes, it's a pretty down and dirty thing. He can't get a taxi because he's black, and the police largely mistreat him though he is a licensed detective: though he has an ally in that older Italian guy. He's shown to be kind (he gives some money to some kids so they can get food) clever (he outsmarts some hoods by pretending to be a bartender and calling the police pretending to be talking to his lover, still giving the right information), and a good lover. He is seduced by a horny white woman in a bar, and when he visits his girlfriend, he makes the baller move of 'waiting naked on her couch for her to return' which is a risky move / high reward endeavour which pays off for him. She tells him she loves him, and he says 'yeah, I know' - John Shaft, you can dig it.
He's also a badass fighter: he throws a guy through a window early on, and is the lead guy in a bizarre siege on the hotel where the kidnapped girl is. It is a needlessly complicated plan involving clothing changes, bribes, a firehose, and abseiling, but still ends up with Shaft shot (don't worry, he's ALL RIGHT).
Would you recommend this? I was expecting something a lot more exploitative and stupid, and was happy to find that it was relatively restrained. The theme song, which everyone on earth knows, was only incidental to the story, and the music and violence weren't Black Dynamite levels of nonsense.
Final thoughts? Why is there a Shaft in 2001 with Christian Bale? Why is there a Shaft in 2019? Why can't these things remain dead? Oh, and the gangster guy that he's working for is called Bumpy Jonas. This was a lot of fun, but less dated than, say Superfly, which is this on more drugs.
For more of this thrown together shite, check here, and do me a favour: have a great day.
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