BUCKTOWN

US, 1975, 94 minutes, Colour.
Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Thalmus Rasulala, Tony King, Bernie Hamilton, Art Lund, Carl Wethers.
Directed by Arthur Marks.

Bucktown is one of many films of the 1970s which, in retrospect, highlight a genre: the black gangster exploitation film. Fred Williamson appeared in many of these films and became something of an icon of this kind of hero. The film also stars Pam Grier, also an icon – who had an opportunity in the 1990s to resurrect her career, especially as the star of Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown.

The film has a familiar gangster setting. A man from the north, a black man, returns to the south at his brother’s death and has to stay in Bucktown for two months for the estate to be processed. He suffers harassment by the local redneck police. He calls a friend from the north and together they confront the police. They also reopen a nightclub. Difficulties arise again – and, as in this kind of film, the hero has to take justice and law into his own hands.

The films were very direct in their style, upfront, the presentation of language, violence and sexuality. They were the precursors of the films of the 90s where black directors began to make their mark – and begin a trend which in the succeeding years meant that there were many black films for black audiences which also crossed over into the mainstream.

1. An entertaining crime thriller, black thriller? For what audience? Black audiences? Critique of America, exploiting of violent American situations?

2. The conventions of the tough thriller, the tough hero, the brutality, and ugliness of the town, the clubs? the violence, the take-overs, sexuality? Were these any different from usual?

3. Colour photography, locations, the atmosphere of the town, the clubs, the police? Music and songs?

4. How credible in this type of thriller plot? In America? Sufficient for the purposes of putting forward a hero, showing him as tough, cleaning up the town?

5. Duke Johnson as played by Fred Williamson with the football background toughness? His character. from the ghetto, his attitude towards Bucktown and the police and the gambling joints and the whore houses? His reaction to his brothers being beaten to death by the police? The encounter with Harley, with Aretha? Calling in Ray after he had been brutalised, his attitude towards Roy and the hoods taking over? The bond with Aretha? The inevitability of a clash with Roy? The brutal fight, the brutality against the police? A credible American black hero?

6. Aretha and her place in the town, with Bea, attitude towards Duke, imprisoned with Harley, heroine for this kind of film? A better characterization or not?

7. Harley as the support, old and fat, his trying to make a living with the bar? Being brutalised, tortured, imprisoned, rescued?

8. Roy as the possibility of Duke gone bad, the exploitation, the violence, the final bout?

9. The picture of the types associated with gambling, clubs, hoods, the crooked police?

10. How ugly a picture of America? How accurate a picture of America, heightened for the purposes of the film?