"Shaft" is a movie that portrays a black character as a superhero. Released in 1971, just after the civil rights movement, this film is included in the so-called "blaxplotation" category. In this genre, black characters play a empowered role in film for the first time. It would not have happened ... Read review
This original and hippest version ofShaftcruised onto cinema screens in 1971. John Shaft ... more
(Richard Roundtree) is an African-American private eye who has a rocky relationship with cops, an even rockier one with Harlem gangsters, and a healthy sex life. T...
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Samuel L. Jackson makes a gleefully updated John Shaft in John Singleton's homage (not ... more
remake) to the early 1970s action classic, picking up where Richard Roundtree's legendaryShaftleft off. The Manhattan-set film features excellent performances, dynam...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
This original and hippest version ofShaftcruised onto cinema screens in 1971. John Shaft ... more
(Richard Roundtree) is an African-American private eye who has a rocky relationship with cops, an even rockier one with Harlem gangsters, and a healthy sex life. T...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Samuel L. Jackson makes a gleefully updated John Shaft in John Singleton's homage (not ... more
remake) to the early 1970s action classic, picking up where Richard Roundtree's legendaryShaftleft off. The Manhattan-set film features excellent performances, dynam...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Crooked cops on the take small-time drug lords sleazy informers and sadistic rich kids ... more
ready to kill: for police detective John Shaft it's just another night in the underbelly of New York City another shift facing down cops and criminals who want h...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2003 - Action/Adventure - Director: Jan De Bont - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Angelina Jolie, Ciaran Hinds, Chris Barrie, Gerard Butler, Noah Taylor, Djimon Hounsou, Til Schweiger
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Rob Cohen - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, Asia Argento
Advantages: Brilliant Story Disadvantages: Cheaply made and dated to nowadays
...the attitude of the superhero, Shaft is a private detective in total control of any situation. Cool, self-sufficient, hard, indomitable, and he is in the middle of two worlds. He collaborates with white policemen and also with black mafia, because white gangsters have kidnapped Bumpy's daughter. Bumpy, the leader of the majority of black crime in Harlem, looks for Shaft's help. Shaft feels comfortable and secure in the streets, dealing with his "brothers", ... ...man who owns a kiosk. Shaft is willing to help him by picking up his newspaper off the ground. He also illustrates a similar attitude with a small boy in the street, by giving him a dollar.
Shaft is portrayed from the first scene of the film as a powerful character. He confidently crosses the street in the middle of the traffic while the opening theme song is still playing. He crosses the street with assurance in front of three ... more
"Shaft" is a movie that portrays a black character as a superhero. Released in 1971, just after the civil rights movement, this film is included in the so-called "blaxplotation" category. In this genre, black characters play a empowered role in film for the first time. It would not have happened before the civil rights movement, because black people were oppressed. They had to play small parts that usually presented stereotypical characters. At the time of this film's release, the equality under the law for black Americans had been achieved, at least on paper. Yet the reality was still far from equality between blacks and whites. Therefore, blacks needed black heroes and a new genre was introduced, with black people featuring main roles. "Shaft" shares many of the characteristics of "blaxplotation" movies.
As for the attitude of the superhero, Shaft is a private detective in total control of any situation. Cool, self-sufficient, hard, indomitable, and he is in the middle of two worlds. He collaborates with white policemen and also with black mafia, because white gangsters have kidnapped Bumpy's daughter. Bumpy, the leader of the majority of black crime in Harlem, looks for Shaft's help. Shaft feels comfortable and secure in the streets, dealing with his "brothers", and feels also confident working with white policemen. He seems very considerate to everyone. For example, when he takes a taxi he says to the driver: "Take your time, I am early." The same thing happens with a white man who owns a kiosk. Shaft is willing to help him by picking up his newspaper off the ground. He also illustrates a similar attitude with a small boy in the street, by giving him a dollar.
Shaft is portrayed from the first scene of the film as a powerful character. He confidently crosses the street in the middle of the traffic while the opening theme song is still playing. He crosses the street with assurance in front of three moving taxis. His style of dressing also portrays this: leather jacket collar slightly turned up and defined sideburns. All these signs provide him with an image of self-assurance. This is a very effective scene that shows how Shaft is undoubtedly portrayed as a hero from the beginning of the film.
Shaft's character lacks any sensitive dimension towards women. Men with some feminine side are considered desirable nowadays: but not in this category of blaxplotation film, in which violence and sex is present as a means of portraying Shaft as a hero. The first sex scene is superfluous and artificial; the conversations on the phone between Shaft and his companion show him as a conceited person, answering to the girl's assertion that she loves him: "I know". This usage of sex and violence to empower Shaft possibly was one of the reasons of the decay of blaxploitaion movies, as this genre received critiques from many sectors.
It is a low-budget movie that illustrates the blaxploitation genre, because it shows black actors in main roles but lacks any aesthetic care and the plot is incredibly predictable. Shaft is portrayed as a superhero in total control of the situation. Different camera angles serve the purpose of empowering Shaft, whose relationships with women lack any sensitivity. This film has definitely broadened my perspective of African American culture because it is a totally new genre to me.
Advantages: Coach Carter Disadvantages: The other two
Shaft
Introduction
Shaft, released in 2000 is an American Police Movie. The film is a sequel of a film made in 1971 going by the same name. It is the 5th film directed by John Singleton.
Cast
Samuel L. Jackson (Coach Carter, SWAT)
Toni Collette
Busta Rhymes
Vanessa L. Williams
Jeffrey Wright
Mekhi Phifer
Christian Bale.
Plot
John Shaft (Jackson) is called in to investigate a racially motivated murder committed by Walter Wade (Christian Bale), the son of a wealthy real estate tycoon. However, the only eye witness, Diane Palmieri (Toni Collette), disappears without a trace. Having been let off on bail, Wade flees to Switzerland but returns two years later, confident that his connections and wealth will acquit him, so long as the waitress witness doesn't testify against him. Wade then enlists the assistance ...
Advantages: so bad its funny Disadvantages: bad action, acting, directing, script, extras
't expect any special edition of this film because it tanked at the box office and it widely loathed but quite a lot of people.
Thankfully I won my copy which I've duly got rid of. Speed 2 will waste 2 hours of your life and if you fork out for the dvd you'll feel shafted in a very nasty way. ...
Advantages: funny, enjoyable, good picture Disadvantages: no extras of real worth
' constant fallback on middle class london dinner party characters that raised their ugly heads in Bridget Jones as well.
As for the dvd well the film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The trasnfer is very good with a sharp picture quailty and no real signs of print blemishes and dirt. The sound is a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix that is pretty limited to the front speakers but you normally find this with most comedy mixes.
Now for the extras goodies, what you get is the trailer, some cast/crew biographies, production notes and pointless map of notting hill with some referance points. Now compare this to the Region 1 that get's an audio commentary, deleted scenes, isolated score track and a segment with Hugh Grant and you can see that once again the UK dvd owner get's shafted. This grinds me even more when the film is quite british ...
Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian
Hearing Impaired Language
English, Italian, English
Technical information
Special Features
Interactive Menus, Scene Access, Trailer, Cast And Crew Interviews, Music Videos, Theatrical Trailer
Aspect Ratio
1.33 Full Screen, 1.85 Wide Screen, 2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital Mono English French Italian, Dolby Digital 5.1 English German
Professional reviews
Review
"...The last 25 minutes are an object lesson in the art of ending a movie with a bang..." -- 4 out of 5 stars (Total Film, p.92, 01/08/2000)
DVD Description
One of the first black action heroes blasts onto the Hollywood scene in this tale of John Shaft, a private eye who sets out to find the missing daughter of a Harlem gang kingpin. By modern standards, the edge might seem a little dull, but Isaac Hayes' score is fresh as ever. Based on the novel by Ernest Tidyman. Academy Award Nominations: 2, including Best Original Dramatic Score. Academy Awards: Best Song ("Theme from Shaft").
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![Shaft [DVD] [2000]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78539719.jpg)
