POSSE
US, 1993, 117 minutes, Colour.
Mario Van Peebles, Stephen Baldwin, Charles Lane, Tiny Lister, Big Daddy Kane, Billy Zane, Richard Jordan, Melvin Van Peebles, Blair Underwood, Salli Richardson, Paul Bartel, Pam Grier, Isaac Hayes, Robert Hooks, Reginald Hudlin, Woody Strode.
Directed by Mario Van Peebles.
Posse is a western with a difference. Its subject is African- Americans in the 19th century, the many cowboys, the blacks who settled towns in the West but who suffered discrimination, racism, and the use of the Grandfather Clause which prevented anyone whose grandfather was a slave to own property.
Mario Van Peebles is clearly intent on letting audiences know about these black pioneers. He has written and directed the film as well as starring in it, and casting his father, the celebrated director, Melvin Van Peebles, in a key role.
The film opens in Cuba, in the War of 1898, a black group under a white commander, played with aggressive relish by Billy Zane. They discover gold, leave Cuba and sail for New Orleans and then, a group organised as a posse, rides to Cutterstown to rectify wrongs done in the past to the hero’s father and to the people in the town.
The posse is led by Jesse Lee, Van Peebles, and has as its members, the giant Tiny Lister, the diminutive Charles Lane, Big Daddy Kane as a gambler and a white member, played by Stephen Baldwin. The white sheriff of Cutterstown is a bigot, responsible for Jesse Lee’s father’s death, in league about railroad profits with the black sheriff, played by Blair Underwood, and bent on vengeance. He is played by Richard Jordan, almost overacting in his zeal.
Ultimately, there is a stand-off between black and white, some tough fighting and the prevailing of the blacks before the final information about Hollywood avoiding this kind of story comes up on screen.
The film is strong, has an interesting cast led by a number of black character actors, and was financed by Working Title, and British investment.
1. Black Western? From the 1990s? The information on blacks in the American towns in the writing century? The number of black cowboys? The clashes? The Ku Klux Klan? The Grandfather clause disempowering blacks who had grandparents as slaves? The information at the end? The critique of Hollywood ignoring these stories? Mario Van Peebles project? Writing, directing, acting?
2. The American West, but with the opening in the Spanish-Cuban? war? 1898? The change to New Orleans? The American towns, the countryside, desert, the rivers, Cutters town, the building of the railroad, the stores, saloons? The feel of the West?
3. The black cast, the friendly white, the hostile light? The black sheriff and his double-dealings?
4. The introduction, the old man and his gravitas, telling the story, praising Jessie and the policy? At the end, modern times, the interviewers, the revelation that he was the young boy from the old story?
5. The sequences in Cuba, the war, Col Graham, the white commander, callously shooting men dead? The missions, Jessie and his group, their being sent out? Little J and his role with the group, is being part of the policy? The mission, the attack, the massacre, finding the gold? The confrontation with Col Graham, his being wounded? Their escape, on the ship? Arriving in New Orleans?
6. The group, Obobo and his eye? Greasy and his stature, doing the kowtowing to Col Graham, but is really being smart? Shrewd? Little J fixed fitting into this group? The bonds? No matter of colour? The gambler, Father Time, in New Orleans, joining the group?
7. The trick, riding, the river and the naked horseplay, seen the railroad being built, their destination?
8. The flashbacks, the sepia tones, the collages? Jessie as a boy, King David and his Pulham, and Jessie reading it later to the dying policy? King David and he is striving for education for all? Loving his son? The impact of the blacks, improvement, the town, the attack, the role of the vicious sheriff, killing King David, Jessie going?
9. The town, the black sheriff, the storekeepers, the saloon, the singers? Black independence, yet…? The policy enjoying settling in, wheezy and the girls? Father Time?
10. Jessie, meeting up with old Joe, they’re talking, the planning, is support? His daughter, relationship with Jessie? The night?
11. Sheriff Bates, frantic, hatred, wanting the railroad, antagonism towards Jeff Jessie, the black inhabitants and their fear, discussions, moving away?
12. The policy, together, the decisions, the support of old Joe?
13. The use of images of the Ku Klux Klan, the attack on the blacks, Jessie disguise as the Klan and the shootings, especially the prison guard who had attacked his father? Sheriff Bates and disguised as the Klan, the killing of the Mayor in the prison?
14. The buildup to the confrontations, the spirit of vengeance? Liberation for the blacks? The shootouts in the town, Father Time and his death? Everybody joining in, men and women? And the role of the little boy?
15. Sheriff Bates and his taking old Joe’s daughter, Jessie and the confrontation, her getting free? Guns and knives? Explosions?
16. The film as an action entertainment, as a glimpse of African- American history, as recompense for the ignoring of these stories?
