SHAFT
US, 2000, 99 minutes, Colour.
Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Christian Bale, Jeffrey Wright, Busta Rhymes, Tony Collette, Richard Roundtree, Ruben Santiago- Hudson, Josef Sommer, Lynne Thigpen, Philip Bosco, Pat Hingle, Daniel von Bargen, Gordon Parks, Peter Mc Robbie.
Directed by John Singleton.
Shaft was a big box office success in the early 1970s, featuring a black detective played by Richard Roundtree and directed by black director, Gordon Parks. It led to 2 sequels. Probably the best-known feature is the music and song, Oscar-winners, sung by Isaac Hayes.
30 years later it seemed time for a remake and successful director, John Singleton, who made a number of films about African- American issues, Boyz in the Hood, Poetic Justice, co-wrote and directed this sequel – because the original Shaft appears as the new Shaft’s uncle. And the Isaac Hayes music is ever present.
Samuel L. Jackson fits the role of the new Shaft perfectly, streetwise, detective, touch of the vigilante, antiracist, anti-drug, not hesitant to use his fists in difficult situations.
The basic situation concerns a spoilt young man played by Christian Bale, arrogant, racist, confident in his father’s privileged position. Humiliated in a nightclub, he bashes an African- American young man to death and intimidates the witness, Tony Collette, but incurs the wrath of Shaft who punches him – which becomes a basis for his being granted bail and his subsequently leaving the country.
2 years later, he returns, Shaft ready for him. but, the important thing is to track down the witness who has fled and to get her to testify. In the meantime, there are considerable complications with street gangs, drug dealers, especially Peoples played by Jeffrey Wright to whom the spoilt young man comes to make a contract for him to track down the witness and dispose of her.
This means a lot of confrontations, two corrupt policeman, Vanessa Williams as Shaft’s ally, and a confrontation at the law courts which involves the victim’s mother, played by Lynne Thigpen.
There is a lot of violence in the film but the players, especially Jackson, Bale and Wright make the film better than it might’ve been. No sequels.
1. The popularity of the original film? The early 1970s? The period of the Blaxploitation films? Sequels?
2. 30 years for this sequel? The new Shaft? As embodied by Samuel L. Jackson? Introduction of Richard Roundtree, from the original, as his uncle? More than a cameo role? Cameo by Gordon Parks in the bar, the original director? And Isaac Hayes’ music?
3. A New York story, the end of the 20th century? The place of the African- Americans? Shaft as the detective? The other black members of the police force? Racist attitudes?
4. The director, his films, African- American themes? His contribution to the story and script?
5. Shaft, seeing him in action, confrontations with criminals? White and black? Using his fists? The touch of the vigilante? Resigning? The attitude of the authorities? Becoming involved again? His targeting Walter Wade? Over two years? His search for the witness? Encounter with the drug dealers, tough tactics, the woman complaining about her son involved with the dealers, his bashing the dealer? The interactions with Peoples? With his two police colleagues, their being on the take? The buildup to the confrontations, helping Diana, the attack, the shootings? The end and his compassion, taking on the case of the national woman?
6. The situation in the restaurant, the young man bleeding on the sidewalk, the witness of his girlfriend? Shaft listening? The flashbacks as to what had happened? Walter, his self-satisfaction, with his friends, goading the young man? The young man with the Ku Klux Klan cloth? Humiliating Walter? Diana as witness, the blood on her face, her reluctance to answer, escaping? Related testimony, the flashbacks to the crime, Walter, his arrogance, his bashing the young man? Threatening Diana? The blood on her face?
7. The court, the judge, Walter’s father, lawyer, Shaft bashing, being granted bail, his arrogance, leaving the country?
8. His return, self-confidence, wanting to track down Diana and have her eliminated? Shaft punching him, taking him to the cells? His encounter with Peoples? Going to see him later, enlisting his help? Peoples and his associate, warning Shaft, given away by the tattooed hand, Peoples killing him and throwing him out the window? His deals with Peoples, Peoples wanting him to introduce him to new clients, upper-class for drug deals? Walter’s refusal?
9. The police, helping Shaft, turning, accepting the money, the motivations? Following? Carmen, confronting them, their shooting her? Her saying she didn’t have the vest – but she did? Shaft shooting them?
10. Peoples, drug deals, watching Shaft bashing the young men on the sidewalk? Shaft throwing the ball? Peoples coming down, touching Shaft? His being arrested? His gangs, plans, Walter and the request to find Diana? The family jewels? $40,000? The irony of Shaft taking them, hiding them, returning them?
11. Diana, her mother, her brothers, on the run, work with the kids, Shaft catching her? Story, taking the bribe? Telling the truth? Being pursued, the gunshots, her brothers? Her finally going to the court?
12. Carmen, her role as a detective, relationship with Shaft, in the final confrontation?
13. Walter, his coming to court, confidence? Shaft reassuring the victim’s mother? The irony of her shooting Walter?
14. New York police story, African- American story, at the beginning of the 21st century?
